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Temjen Imna Along[/caption]
Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, Aug. 3 (EMN): The government of Nagaland will be establishing three new border posts along the Nagaland-Assam border belt, according to Minister for Higher and Technical Education, and Tribal Affairs Temjen Imna Along.
He was speaking during a cultural exchange programme, dubbed as ‘Tradition Echoing Peace’, held at the Nagaland-Assam border belt of Saring village in Longchem administrative circle, some 100 kilometre away from Mokokchung headquarters on Saturday.
The programme, which coincided with Tsungremong festival, had Along as special guest; and Advisor to Treasuries and Accounts, and National Highway Dr. Longrineken as special invitee.
Along also clarified that establishing new border posts “should not be taken in a negative way” by the Assam government. He reasoned that the purpose was solely to secure the border belt.
He urged the EAC and border magistrate of Longchem to work for mutual co-existence between Saring and Nokpu villages; and to ‘break down the differences and build bridges’ between the villages along the Assam-Nagaland border.
“We should be human first and build peaceful co-existence and settle the difference between both sides through dialogue; we have taken the first step, therefore it is the turn of our counterpart (in Assam) to initiate such programme,” he said.
Dr. Longrineken also spoke at the event and asserted that if the two communities live peacefully, ‘then there would be no issue.’
He further suggested that such an exchange programme should be held, in turn, between the two neighbouring states.
A charity drive for Assam flood victims was also organised at the event.
Along said that Nagaland’s immediate neighbour is Assam “and this cannot be erased till the end of time.”
He said that the people of Nagaland were concerned for the victims of the flood in Assam. “We will contribute in cash or kind, and whatever we can, for our neighbours,” Along asserted.
The cultural exchange programme was aimed at fostering relationship and creating peaceful co-existence between the communities living in the Assam and Nagaland border belt, which has—time and again—witnessed violent incidents.