Nagaland Tribes Council expresses concern over proposed joint oil exploration with Assam

Dimapur: The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has expressed concern over reports that chief ministers of Nagaland and Assam had agreed in principal to go for oil exploration in the disputed areas along the dubious borders of the two states.

In a statement issued after a meeting with its executive council and advisors in Dimapur on April 25, where the proposed oil exploration in the state was deliberated, the NTC lamented the state not being able to generate revenue from its huge mineral deposits and resources.

It claimed Nagaland has always remained peaceful in terms of its borders but that’s not so with its neighbouring state Assam, accusing it of creating problem with “artificial boundary” and ‘annexing’ Naga land.

“As a matter of fact, on the basis of the 1875 boundary demarcation of Naga Hills District of Assam, the historical and traditional/ancestral boundary of Nagaland is far beyond the present claim of Assam which needs to be reclaimed immediately. In this connection the point 12th of the 16-Point Agreement of 1960 may be drawn for reference,” read the press release.

The 12th point of the agreement signed between the GoI and the Naga people stated that “the Naga delegation discussed the question of the inclusion of the Reserved Forests and of contiguous areas inhabited by Nagas. They were referred to the provisions in Article 3 and 4 of the Constitution, prescribing the procedure for the transfer of areas from one state to another”, it said, adding that “Reserved Forest means the Naga reserved forest transferred to Assam for administrative convenience”.

“However, the historical records and the hard earned 16-Point Agreement of 1960 remains in cold storage for the last 60 years. Once it is resolved, Nagaland can conveniently go for exploration of natural resources including oil without any hindrance. There cannot be a state without definite territory of land,” it added.

It also said that the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulations, 2012 and Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 2012 (NP&NG) don’t look into “the rights, privileges and revenue sharing for the beneficiaries, including that of employment of the affected land owner/areas and block”.

The failure to listen to the cry of the people for rectification resulted in the Lotha Hoho, the first affected tribe, filing a PIL in the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench, it said.

It added that the government of Nagaland persuaded the Lotha Hoho to withdraw the PIL and signed an MoU on November 20, 2018 on the condition that their grievances would be addressed within six months, thus turning it into a suo moto case, but remains unresolved till date.

“It would all be better that the state government pursue the suo moto case in the High Court, before any other ultra-vires comes in, finalise the case and amend the defective regulation and rules before any wishful thinking for oil exploration,” it continued.

While lauding the state government for maintaining good relation and understanding with the neighbouring states, the NTC said the state is not subordinate their counterparts, including Assam and so too the chief minister of Nagaland. It went on to say that rushing to agree in principle for joint oil exploration along the disputed boundaries without the consent of the stakeholders needed to be pondered upon.