Ao Students’ Conference urges government to settle Nagaland-Assam border issue

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, July 3 (EMN): The Ao Students’ Conference (AKM) has appealed to the government of Nagaland to initiate dialogue with the Assam government and bring about a permanent settlement to the land dispute between the two states.

In a letter to the chief minister of Nagaland, the AKM stated that the Assam-Nagaland border disputes have been occuruing from time to time since the attainment of statehood and has hampered the day-to-day life of many Nagas living in the border belts.

It added that time and again, the cordial relationship between Assam and Nagaland could not be maintained over the years despite several undertakings and agreement signed between the two states.

In this connection, the AKM appealed to the state government to take necessary action on three points — dialogue with the Assam government, appointment and deployment of Village Guard (VG) in all the border belt areas and villages, and completion of Nagaland Foothill road.

The AKM opined that over the years, the VGs had been playing a vital role in protecting the homeland from intruders in many districts. However, it said uniformity is not being maintained in many areas and urged the government to initiate appointment of VGs in all the border belts areas.

While acknowledging the effort of the state government towards the construction of Foothill road, the student body reminded that the purpose had not been served after the lapse of many years and appealed for early completion.

“Completion of Nagaland Foothill Road will be a dream come true and shall definitely benefit the Naga populace at large,” AKM stated while assuring to extend their support and co-operation.

Citing the recent incident at Tzurang valley in Mokokchung district, AKM claimed that the Assam police personnel had occupied and captured a private farm by setting up camps and stationing hundreds of personnel at the site. It lamented that such high handedness of Assam police personnel ‘remains an unexplained misery which is best known to the concerned’.

The organisation further added that the Ao Senden Village- Nagajanka link road at Tzurang valley has been closed since November 2020, which has caused numerous hardships to the general public.

“Due to the mentioned reason, economic blockades, bandhs, and agitations are inevitable, affecting daily commuters and leaving the citizens of Mokokchung district in jeopardy,” the AKM asserted.

In this connection, it stated that in order to evade fear and tension among the public and to safeguard the ancestral land, the state government should immediately take measures with the Assam government to withdraw the Assam police personnel stationed at Tzurang valley in Mokokchung district.