Dimapur, September 11 (MExN): The NSCN-K (Khango-Vusshe) has expressed deep concern and unequivocal opposition to any unilateral or premature move towards oil, natural gas or mineral exploration in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) between Nagaland and Assam.
The NSCN-K (Kango-Vusshe) in a statement issued by its MIP stated that no exploration, drilling, extraction or transfer of natural resources in the DAB should proceed without the informed consent of the affected indigenous landowners and legitimate local stakeholders.
“The unresolved Assam–Nagaland boundary dispute must not be treated as settled merely through an administrative or developmental arrangement. Resource extraction cannot be allowed to create a de facto settlement of a territorial question that remains unresolved,” it said.
The NSCN-K (Khango-Vusshe) acknowledged the Government of India’s aspiration to strengthen energy security and promote economic development, and noted the Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on June 11, 2026, by the governments of India, Assam and Nagaland to facilitate exploration and development of oil, natural gas and other mineral resources in the Assam–Nagaland boundary areas.
“However, development cannot come at the cost of constitutional safeguards, customary rights, historical claims and the ownership rights of indigenous communities,” it said.
DAB is not an ordinary piece of undisputed territory but forms part of a long-standing and unresolved inter-State boundary dispute, with surveys indicating the disputed belt extends over approximately 1,100 sq km along the 512-km Assam–Nagaland boundary, it added.
“More importantly, Article 371A(1)(a)(IV) of the Constitution of India specifically provides Constitutional protection concerning the ownership and transfer of land and its resources in Nagaland. The provision was incorporated as a special constitutional safeguard for Nagaland, and the Supreme Court has recently reiterated the text and significance of this protection,” NSCN-K (Khango-Vusshe) noted.
It maintained that no administrative arrangement, inter-governmental understanding or development agreement should be interpreted as overriding the constitutional and customary rights of the Naga people.
It also referred to the recent concerns raised in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly regarding alleged oil survey and drilling activities near Hayiyan village under Bhandari subdivision, Wokha district, saying this demonstrated why clarity over jurisdiction, consent and the precise status of disputed areas is urgently required before any field activity proceeds.
“The 11 June 2026 Tripartite MoU must be implemented strictly within the framework of the Constitution, customary law and the rights of indigenous landowners. Where these safeguards have not been adequately addressed, implementation should be kept in abeyance pending proper consultation and verification,” it said.
The NSCN-K (Khango-Vusshe) demanded that the governments of India, Assam and Nagaland establish transparent mechanisms for identifying the exact status of each proposed exploration site, ownership claims, environmental safeguards, compensation, royalty and benefit-sharing arrangements before any drilling or extraction takes place.
“The consent of the people must not be reduced to a mere procedural formality. Those who own, occupy and traditionally exercise customary rights over the land must have a meaningful voice in decisions concerning the resources beneath it,” it said.
Appreciating the GoI’s vision of transforming the Northeast into an engine of economic growth, the outfit said India's rise must be founded upon constitutionalism, justice and mutual respect—not at the expense of the rights of its indigenous peoples.
“The Naga people have moved forward, aspirations for roads, industries, employment, investment and economic prosperity has also evolved. But development must never require us to surrender our birthright. Progress and the protection of indigenous rights are not mutually exclusive; they must advance together,” it said.
Referring to the sacrifices of Naga martyrs, it said the Naga political struggle is sanctified by their sacrifices and that the time has come for a clear understanding that the people earnestly seek an early political solution—not merely a transactional business arrangement. “Even an ant has a territory; a people who have inhabited and protected their land for generations cannot be expected to remain silent when decisions affecting that land are taken without their meaningful participation,” it said.
Further, it called upon the Government of Nagaland to exercise restraint, suspend contentious field activities and initiate a transparent consultation process with the affected communities and resolve the underlying territorial and ownership questions before proceeding with exploration.
“Any eventuality arising from the continued delay or failure to address the issue meaningfully shall carry its own consequences, for which the Government of Nagaland must bear full responsibility,” it cautioned. “The resources of the land must become a source of prosperity—not a new source of conflict,” it added.
