The abused Assam-Nagaland border

Thepfulhouvi Solo “Do not move an ancient boundary Stone”. (Proverb. 23: 11) [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Chief Minister of Nagaland in his recent Meeting at Delhi on Assam-Nagaland Border is reported to have suggested to the Centre the “Idea of LoC over the disputed Area with Assam”. This is a surprisingly new Idea at variance with the Age -old Naga Stand. Our age old demand has always been: ‘Return Us Our Ancestral Land’.Before Ahoms entered Assam in about 1228 CE, the Nagas owned the Land and its Jungles. 18 years before the British left, in 1929 the Nagas presented a Petition to the Simon Commission of the British Parliament, demanding separation of the Naga Life from Assam (India) and the return of the Forest Lands transferred to Sibsagar District for better administration and management. The Transfer of the Forests to Assam was done on the wisdom of the Colonial Power, not on the demand of the Native Assemese nor of the Nagas. The Return of Land was agreed in 1949 in the famous SIR HYDARI or 9-POINT AGREEMENT between Nagas and the Government during Assam’s Premiership of Gopinath Bordoloi of Assam. The Issue of return of the transferred land was again ‘RAISED’ in 1963 in the 16-POINT AGREEMENT between the Government of India and the Naga Peoples Conference and Nagaland was formed out of NHTA (Naga Hills-Tuensang Area). Since then Nagaland has, from 1963, for 51 years all along, been demanding ‘Return Our Land’. It is now 85 years. But the CM of Nagaland seems to be harping on a completely new Idea not in conformity with our unwavering age-old stand. The Chief Minister’s new idea of LoC anticipates: i. Prevention of new settlement in the disputed land. ii. Placing of Additional Guards in the border areas to prevent Disturbances in the Area. It was exactly to this aim that an Agreement between the Chief Ministers of Assam and Nagaland was made way back in 1972’. However, that Agreement could prevent neither ‘further settlement’ nor ‘turmoil in the Area’. Assam used the ‘status quo Agreement’ to occupy more lands and established more Police Posts -80 to agreed 7 of Nagaland’s- and used the so-called Neutral Force to its advantage as Nagaland in naïve good faith agreed the DGP of Assam to head the Force! The CM’s New Idea of LoC cannot stop: i. New Settlement nor ii. Secession of turmoil in the Area iii. Or easy developmental works in the Area, until the Border is demarcated. Before Assam went to the Supreme Court, Saikia Chief Minister of Assam and SC Jamir had agreed to settle the Issue and to demarcate the Boundary line mutually in Peace and on the basis of give and take, in front of dual Governorship of MISRA of Assam and Nagaland. The Demarcation of the Border is of FORMOST importance: IT MUST BE DONE OUTSIDE THE COURT, mutually on Consent of the two States in Peace: it must be done now and here; this dispute must not be handed down to the next generation. Assam has filed a Case against Nagaland; the Case is lying in the Supreme Court for nearly a decade. The Court has now appointed two very experienced Retired Justices renowned in Mediations as Supreme Court Mediators to suggest ways and means for an amicable solution between the Two States. This unusually wise consideration on the part of the Supreme Court is very welcome. Nagaland must strongly insist Mediated Settlement, mutually on consent of the two States in Peace. When everything is said and done, this is the best possible solution to come out of a Case lying in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court Mediators have held numerous discussions with Officials of the two States, with various NGOs and concerned Citizens for 2 years. Nagaland State has submitted its Stand in no uncertain Terms, NGOs and concerned Individuals have stated their Views in no uncertain Terms; but after all these, it surprising the Chief Minister is coming out with a new Idea possibly unfavorable to the State of Nagaland. The Chief Minister and the Home Minister did not seem to have found time to do their Home Works properly on the Subject. The People of Nagaland would strongly urge their Chief Minister to insist: I. ON OUTSIDE THE COURT SETTLEMENT. II. ON BASIS OF GIVE AND TAKE. III. ON MUTUAL CONSENT OF THE TWO STATES. IV. IN PEACE. The two neighboring States of Assam and Nagaland must live in friendship and goodwill for all times to come.