Al Ngullie
Morung Express News
October 4
The Nagaland Cabinet has yet to discuss any matter associated with inter-state boundary disputes, for quite a considerable period now, a source from the state Cabinet admitted in an unexpected remark, Saturday. The ‘confession’ aside, it was quite surprising considering the long string of tradeoffs Nagaland has had frequently with at least two of her neighbors in the past one and a-half year.
In fact, there are some legislators in the state government who are not even aware that Nagaland had been in near-skirmish in October last year with Manipur over a stretch of land bordering Phek district. More interestingly, even for an event as significant as the September ruling of the Supreme Court of India that Assam and Nagaland mediate the dispute, and had met on September 18 in Delhi, the Nagaland Cabinet apparently has other more important things in mind. No point about the borders during Cabinet meetings, has been broached so far, it was informed.
“The Cabinet has not yet discussed any border issues,” a leader from the Cabinet disclosed during an interaction on Saturday. The interaction was actually on the upcoming October 8 consultative meeting but issues related to the borders also breached the conversation. The Nagaland Cabinet apparently isn’t too keen on anything related to the borders and prefers to scoot out the backdoor.
In fact, the legislator, on condition of anonymity, admitted he isn’t aware that there actually was a dispute with Manipur last year, over allegations of a battalion of the Nagaland Armed Police camping allegedly on Manipur’s land, a village called Jessami.
Just recently, a concerned citizen had submitted two photographs of Merapani illustrating state of affairs: since Nagaland’s 1985 war with Assam, half of Merapani on Assam’s side is today a thriving hub of trade, transport and infrastructure.
The other half of Merapani on Nagaland’s side, sadly still remains caught in ancient trees, rusting machinery from the 80s and ruins; no urban infrastructure, least of all to talk about development.
Government sources contacted by this paper had no idea if the Cabinet had also yet discussed the regular border upheavals in the Liphayan-Ralan ranges in Wokha bordering with Assam or that of Yajang-C village’s (under Mokokchung district) constant tensions with Assam Police personnel.
Nonetheless, another leader Parliamentary Secretary for Border Affairs Yanthungo Patton informed Saturday evening that border issues would be ‘discussed’ during the ‘consultative meeting.’ Repeated attempts continue to be made to the Chief Secretary of Nagaland, since the Supreme Court’s observation in September. The calls are yet to be returned.
The year 2010 alone has brought for the Government of Nagaland a string of political rows over questions of boundaries and inter-state lines with Assam, Manipur and recently a ‘side-part’ related with Arunachal Pradesh. Last year in March, tensions intensified at the Assam-Nagaland borders after Yajang-C village under Mokokchung district was reportedly provoked by personnel of an Assam Police Battalion from Chutiakari BoP (Border Observation Post) near Selenghat Lowjan in Jorhat. Then in October 2009, a dispute between villagers of Jessami in Ukhrul district and Laphuri village in Phek district of Nagaland spiked tensions between the two state governments. A Nagaland Armed Police barrack in Jessami, Ukhrul district in Manipur had the tensions spiked.
Further, just recently in September, Assam accused Nagaland government leaders for abetting ‘subversive activities’ – an event associated with Assam’s border dispute with Arunachal Pradesh. On September 9 Assam Home Commissioner Jishnu Baruah embarked on a three-day tour to the frontier areas as part of Dispur’s move to review the “ground situation” along the Assam-Nagaland boundary following the border flare-up between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh in the Charaipung area of Sivasagar district.
Border-related upturns remained in the news, including the September observation of the Supreme Court of India suggesting ‘mediation’ to solve the Assam-Nagaland dispute. The chief secretaries of Assam and Nagaland met on September 18 in Delhi with the two mediators appointed by the Supreme Court of India. But, as the Cabinet source said, the Nagaland Cabinet has still not yet discussed any border issues for quite some time now.
