Committee seeks govt intervention on Ralan issue

EMN DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 5 The Action Committee on Ralan Issue, which was formed in the backdrop of the recent Nagaland-Assam border violence in Ralan area, has called for intervention from the Nagaland government before the harvest season. A press statement issued on Sunday by the members of the committee – Ralanthung Yanthan, T Ovung, Er W Kithan and Ejanthung Ngullie – stated that in case the government fails to respond to the call for immediate intervention “the situation will explode into unimaginable proportion.” The Committee made the observation following a visit to the affected areas of Ralan on October 3. As per the spot assessment report of the Committee, “along the Bokajan-Wokha road from Yanpha village every 200-250 meters SSB/CRBF pickets with 3 to 5 personnel are in position and several new Assam Police Armed posts had been set up after the incident.” Also, along the road from Tontongo junction in Bokajan-Wokha road to Liphayan on Governor’s Camp, presence of neutral forces (SSB/CRPF) was found highly concentrated and pickets along the road every 200-250 meters, the report said. Houses, dwellings, granaries destroyed and burned during the recent incident are not yet reconstructed on either side of the road, it stated. It further highlighted some of the points expressed by the affected villagers during their visit. “The Assam Police continuously are protecting the tenants and assisting them to return to paddy fields, but whereas the Naga landowners are prevented to return by the Assam Police backed by the neutral force which is a reserved-topsy-turvy nature,” the report said quoting the villagers. While the Assam government is assisting the tenants with the building materials, food stuffs and financial assistance to the tune of Rs 50,000 per tenant, the Nagaland government has not extended any assistance till date, the report further quoted the affected villagers as saying. “The urgent need and demand of the affected people is to provide enough State security forces (NAP/IRB), so as to enable them to return to their villages at the earliest. The urgency is very apparent because paddy harvesting is approaching,” the Committee stated in its final remark.