Dimapur, July 15 (MExN): Calling the reports of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s “hawkish decision” to set up Assam police battalion camps “all along the DAB with Nagaland - not mere police outposts", unfortunate, the Rising People’s Party (RRP) asked the Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to counter the same ‘publicly.’
“The RPP demands that the CM Rio publicly counter the Assam Chief Minister’s statement given on the 13 July in the floor of the Assembly,” stated the newly- formed political party in a press release.
It also demanded that the PDA government bring out a White paper (policy document) categorically making its stand clear on the border issue with clear actionable plans.
Meanwhile, the RRP said that the “unfortunate stand” of Assam CM is against the spirit of good neighbourly relations, and yet it was a political decision taken in the supposed interest of Assam,” it said.
According to the RRP, the aggressive measure was announced before Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s scheduled meeting with all the CMs of the Northeast July 17, gave the the impression that Assam CM is not “willing to budge on the niggling border issue vis-à-vis the neighbouring states.”
So the moot question is, what is the border policy of our own government? Is the PDA government ready to tackle the issue? RRP posed.
It further noted that it is important that as a leader for CM Rio to assure the people of Nagaland that the “land, lives and property of people living in border areas would be protected at all costs.”
However, the Party noted that the border dispute with Assam is not a recent issue and is still under judicial consideration in the Supreme Court.
The RPP also demanded that the PDA government bring out a White paper (policy document) categorically making its stand clear on the border issue with clear actionable plans.
The Mizoram government too has vowed to protect its boundary at all costs from undue aggression by Assam, it maintained.
“To resolve the Nagaland-Assam border issue is one of the core manifesto of the Rising People’s Party and it expresses its solidarity with our people living in border areas,” stated the RRP in the release issued by its President Joel Naga and General Secretary, Amai Chingkhu.
