DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 18 (MExN): The United Naga Tribes Association of Border Areas (UNTBA), while appreciating the meeting between the Assam and Nagaland Chief Ministers on October 17 to foster better relations between the two states, has however objected to the proposition for amicable settlement on the border issue.
A press statement received from the Chief Minister’s Office had stated the Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang had suggested to his Assam counterpart that the “border issue between the two neighboring states should be solved amicably by the people instead of depending on the court to pass a judgment.”
To this, UNTBA Chairman, Hukavi T Yepthumi and General Secretary, Imsumongba Pongen, in a press statement today maintained that if at all the boundary issue between the two states has to be settled amicably as proposed by the Chief Ministers of the two states; it has to be on the basis of the 9 Point and 16 Point Agreements.
Elucidating its assertion, it quoted excerpts from the 9-point agreement signed by Akbar Hydari Ali, the then Governor and Gobinath Bordoloi, the then Premier of Assam Province and the representatives of Naga National Council that, “(i) to bring back into the Naga Hills District all the Forests transferred to Sibsagar and Nowgong Districts in the past; and (ii) to bring under one unified administrative unit as far as possible all Nagas. All the areas so included will be within the scope of the present proposed agreement. No area should be transferred out of Naga Hill without the consent of the Naga National Council.”
Also highlighting passages from the 16 point agreement that, “Re-transfer of Reserve Forests: All the Reserved Forests and other Naga areas that were transferred out of Naga area will be returned to Nagaland with a clearly defined boundary under the present settlement.” Consolidation of Contiguous Naga Areas: The other Naga tribes inhabiting the areas contiguous to the present Nagaland be allowed to join Nagaland if they so desire.”
The UNTBA said it was due to the failure of the Government of India to fulfill its promises made in the Agreements, that the State of Nagaland is without a defined and specified boundary till date as clearly stated by the Surveyor General of India.
Due to such lapses on the part of the Government of India, the UNTBA alleged that the Assam Government is fighting a proxy war against the Naga people in the Supreme Court since 1988 praying for declaring the Inner Line as the boundary of Assam and Nagaland.
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