Assam organisations threaten to impose economic blockade on Nagaland over border issue

Our Correspondent
Diphu, Nov. 12 (EMN): Organisations based in Karbi Anglong, Assam, have threatened to impose a ‘four-hour economic blockade’ on Nagaland on November 20, if the state governments of Assam and Nagaland and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) fail to hold a meeting on the ‘inter-state border issue and come up with a fruitful solution’.

The organisations include Karbi Students’ Association (KSA), United Karbi Anglong Women Association, Karbi Anglong Women Justice Forum, Hills Progressive Youth Association, Students and Youth Council.

Addressing a press conference on Thursday, the president of KSA, Simeon Rongphar, claimed that under the patronage of Nagaland government, ‘Nagas of Nagaland have been continuously encroaching the land inside Daldali reserve forest in Karbi Anglong’.

“Fresh encroachment is still taking place in Daldali reserve forest. The district administration and law and order authority of Dimapur are giving full support. By removing the border pillar No. 1 and No.3, the Naga encroachers have encroached our forest land. They claim that the area is not forest land and belongs to Nagaland. The Nagaland government has issued land pattas to them. We strongly condemn such act by Nagaland government as it is known that in 1923, in undivided Assam, the Daldali forest was declared as reserved inside Assam. On November 17, 1951, when Mikir hills, present Karbi Anglong district, and when Nagaland state was created by bifurcating part of Assam in 1963 Daldali RF was inside Karbi Anglong,” Rongphar said.

According to him, it is very unfortunate that the Nagaland government is issuing land pattas to those residing inside Daldali.

“We are giving time till November 20 to hold a meeting on Assam-Nagaland border issue by the three parties, the Assam and Nagaland government and KAAC. If no such meeting is held or any fruitful result comes up, then the organisations will be calling for 4-hour economic blockade on Nagaland state. Any lost incurred due to the economic blockade will have to be borne by Assam and Nagaland government and KAAC,” Rongphar said.