Ashikho Pfuzhe
Jandalashung (Wokha) | January 30
In a prompt action, the four legislators representing Wokha district on Monday literally ‘stormed’ the training base of the All Adivasi National Liberation Army (AANLA) located “deep inside Kyong (Lotha) traditional land.” The intervention of the four legislators led by parliamentary secretary for Border Affairs, Y Patton, and including Agriculture Minister Dr. Chumben Murry, deputy speaker of Nagaland Assembly Ralanthung Yanthan, and Parliamentary Secretary for Home Guards & Prisons W Kithan, has, in most likelihood, averted another “Merapani war.”
The presence of two AANLA training camps in the area has raised questions on the neutrality of the Central Reserve Police Force, the “neutral force” manning law and order along the contentious Assam-Nagaland border areas known as the “Disturbed Area Belt,” pending final settlement from the Supreme Court.
The legislators were accompanied by the CO of the 155 CRPF (Bokajan) RK Mishra, CO of 41 Assam Rifle Colonel Mahadev, Deputy Commissioner of Wokha Rovilato Mor, Superintendent of Police of Wokha Sejong Sangtam, Superintendent of Police (Border) EY Lotha, CO of 7 NAP Bhandari Philip Humtsoe and officials from the state Border Affairs department and public leaders of the area,
The four legislators inspected two reported training camps of the AANLA in Jandalashung village ‘jurisdiction.’ Tell-tale signs of recent activities in the second AANLA camp including fresh footprints and recovery of around 200 wooden toy guns used during military drills, booby traps and “obstruction clearing” contrivances was there for all to see. CRPF officers who earlier denied any knowledge of the training camp were caught off guard by the on-the-spot discovery. Irate Kyong villagers joined a couple of Nagaland Police personnel and torched the leafed-fences of the main training camp.
Earlier, the four legislators from Wokha addressed a public meeting followed by a closed-door meeting with the security forces and public leaders. They urged the CRPF to remain true as a neutral force and not to discriminate any community or individual from both sides of the border. While welcoming the central and Assam governments’ policy to rehabilitate the surrendered AANLA cadres, the four legislators however said that rehabilitation and settlement packages should not be at the cost of Nagas or their land.
Agriculture Minister Dr. Chumben Murry insisted that “no stone should be left unturned to see that the AANLA training camps are abolished once and for all” and also iterated that the state government will strongly oppose any move for setting up of AANLA designated camps in the area. Parliamentary secretary for Border Affairs Y Patton was more vocal in his address and assured the villagers that he would personally see to it that “not an inch” of Nagas’ land is doled out to outsiders or AANLA.
Parliamentary secretary W Kithan, who also represents 40 AC Bhandari under which Ralan sub-division falls, said that it was wrong on the part of any government or agency to pit marginalized people such as the Naga and Adivasi against one another. NLA deputy speaker Ralanthung also assuaged the apprehensions of villagers saying that their representatives would not desert them in times of crisis. CO of 155 CRPF (Bokajan) RK Mishra said that while land dispute was out of the purview of the paramilitary force, the CRPF has been ‘maintaining neutrality’ all along.
The CO of the 41 Assam Rifles Col Mahadev said that the AR would not hesitate to take action against any insurgent group trying to set up unauthorized designated camps in Nagaland.
“Neutral force” accused of prejudiceMeanwhile the CRPF, the “neutral force” of the DAB on the Assam Nagaland border has come in for much criticism from villagers from Nagaland side and most of the Naga villagers in the area asserted that the CRPF, far from being a “neutral force” in a “one-sided” force with heavy leanings on Assam. The “neutral force” (CRPF) looking after law and order problem in DAB along the Assam-Nagaland border is reportedly under the direct command of DIG (Border) of Assam Police.
The villagers also claimed that the CRPF is responsible for the AANLA camp in “Kyong territory” as the force was acting as a ‘mediator’ between the Assam government and the Adivasi rebel outfit in the rehabilitation of AANA cadres. “AANLA cadres are forcibly collecting Rs. 200 each from every household in the area and not less that Rs. 5,000 from shops. All this is done with tacit understanding of the CRPF Yampha sector,” a villager of the area disclosed.
Villagers of Ralan areas also alleged that the CRPF gate located at Yanpha village is “forcibly” collecting so-called taxes from Naga villagers transporting farm goods and construction materials, whereas non-Naga farmers and businessmen are exempted. 18 Kyong villages (12 in valley sector) under its fold Ralan sub-division remains one of the most neglected and underdeveloped sub-divisions in Nagaland.
