A Yangkon Konyak
TDDC Member
Having submitted the Memorandum for Up-Gradation of Tobu District Hq since the year back 2007, the 55 AC Tobu and 48 AC Moka public have expressed time and again the grievances. And we are crying for justice and equality in terms of infrastructural facilities and administrative convenient. As a responsible person, I would like to highlight few important points to the Chief Minister, GoN and his council of Ministers, Cabinet invitees and concerned head of the departments be noted and considered the case of Tobu District on the following grounds:
• Tobu area being isolated and lagging behind in every aspect of life due to geographical circumstances as it is located in far flung from the state capital and Mon District Hq. The long distance from the marketing point cities of Assam like, Jorhat and Sonari to Tobu-Moka area is one of the greatest problems. As the Jorhat market is an exorbitant rate in all building and construction goods and materials and Sonari is the main supplies centre of all essentials and basic shopping commodities for the Mon district, we are to arrange transportation from these two markets. The minimum distance from Jorhat town to Mon Hq is 157Km and from Mon Hq to Tobu ADC Hq is 129Km, the total Km from marketing point of Jorhat Assam to Tobu is 275Km. The last stoppage village of Tobu Sub-Division under Mon District is Shinnyu village which is 190Km from Mon District Hq. The transportation cost from Jorhat to Tobu proper is Rs. 48,000/- and from Sonari Assam to Tobu is Rs.36,000/- per four wheels Tata Truck trip respectively.
• The Nagaland State, Schedule of Rate and Bill of Quantity SoR/BoQ for Building and Road constructions under NPWD, same SoR/BoQ is being given for whole of Mon District as the differences in distance is a minimum of 100Km in Tobu-Moka proper and a minimum of 190Km in interior parts from the District Hq. Moreover, Pessao, Changlu, Eyeang, Yongkhao, Shinnyu, Tamkoang, Yengmai, Tangkhao, Shamnyu, Nguthong, and Wangshuchanglu villages are still not being plied even the Tata Sumo to Tobu town but they are travelling on foot walking 4 to 3 hours to reach further journey point by Bus and Sumo transportation to rest of the Nagaland from Tobu town.
• While rest of the Konyaks and Naga communities were introducing the Christianity and imparting the western education, Naga national pioneers have taught first to raise the arms and ammunition and Naga Nationalism to Tobu & Moka people. Many villagers embraced Christian religion very lately and western Education had been put off due to massive insurgency bastion in the area. According to the Ministry of Human Resource Development, GoI national literacy rate index, Tobu & Moka is the lowest female literacy rate in the State as well as in the country.
• It is naked truth that, after the abrogation of Cease Fire between the NSCN (Khaplang) and the GoI, there have been at least 8 (Eight) times encounter and counter ambush occurred between the NSCN cadres and Indian Army personnel in Mon District till today. And 11 Assam Rifle & TA military personnel killed and wounded many more and 2 civilian death and injured few. Out of which, 4 counter attacked or ambushed are within the jurisdiction of Tobu and Moka region, for which 10 AR/TA personnel killed and 1 (one) civilian succumbed to death. Many more encounters and ambushes could have been occur but it had been avoided with the public intervention on number of occasions between the NSCN cadres and AR/Para-military troops in the area. Therefore, in order to control law and order situation, direct controlling administrative and police competent authority is urgently in need for the region.
• It is pitiable fact to inform that, there are several Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) which sanctioned for every District in the country like, Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK), Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV), Tribal Youth Ashram school, Polytechnic, Modern Degree College, Block Institute of Teacher Education etc. The proposal was made in Tobu for KVK set up in Mon District and approved by the Ministry of Agriculture GoI, ICAR at Mopong under Tobu Sub-Division but later it was diverted to Aboi, ADC, Hq as per the guideline of the Ministry because the minimum distance between District Hq to proposed KVK should be 30 Km and Mopong being denied as it is 109Km from District Hq. So also the modern Degree College and JNV had been allotted to Wakching town as minimum distance requirement met as per guidelines. There is a District Institute Educational Traning DIET had established in Goching-Chi village. Another Block Institute of Teacher Education BITE had been set up at Aboi just 26Km away from present District DIET centre but the Tobu & Moka which is 230Km away from Mon had been denied. And another fact is, Model Higher Secondary School, SDO (C) Angjangyang under Moka was proposed and earmarked under SSA, again this proposed school disappeared in the thin air while executing the construction work it was erected at Aboi.
• There are 4 (Four) central-para-military forces and State NAP/IR Battalions in Mon District. Assam Rifle ‘B’ Hq is established at Naginimora because it is located in Assam Border. And 6th NAP Battalion set up at Tizit as it is the border area with Assam and Arunachal. Moreover, Tizit being the Industrial hubs of Mon due to existence of Plywood/Timber Mills, and Tea-Estates etc. And 11th NAP (Indian Reserved) battalion proposed in Tobu-Moka area but it has been denied that 11th NAP (IR) Hq must be established nearest to Airport and railway Station for immediate deployment of IR cadres for the country security, as a result it was given to Aboi for easy accessible of re-enforcement importance. There was one BRO, 88 RCC Hq in Tobu yet this Road Construction Company, GREF Hq was shifted to Mon which is 11 RCC now, after the assassination of Officer-Commanding OC-88 RCC, 71KM camp by the NSCN cadres in 1980 as the rumoured broke out like a wild fire and alleged to GREF OC had directed to offer human being and blood for Bridges construction on the TNM BRO road.
• It is common fact that, Ministry of Roads & Transports, GoI had declared that every District Head Quarter will be connected with two lane National Highway road in the country. For this it has been proposed two lanes National Highway Road from Tuensang to Mon via Tobu, Angjangyang, Longchang and Aboi. But this proposed road was diverted from Tuensang to Longleng and from Longleng to Mon via Aboi as a result NH road penetration to Tobu-Moka had been denied. If the GoN and its council of Ministers and bureaucrats considered the grievances of Tobu, at least two lanes road shall be connected in near future from Noklak, Tuensang, Longleng, and Mon to Tobu. Moreover, many patients and pregnant women are suffering and dying as they could not effort to travel and some due to deplorable road condition to reach Mon District Hospital. And many injured, seriously sick patients and pregnant women perished while on the way to District Hospital due to 7 to 5 hours prolong journey and crooked road condition in the District. It is personal viewed, denying Tobu District Hq shall be a human rights violation as many patients are dying on the way to District Hospital. If District Hospital with present infrastructural facilities is established at Tobu then many dying patient souls shall be saved. And many publics and students have to travels for attending the various educational institutions and offices works, where it could have been done in District Hq.
• Konyaks being the populous tribe, we are the most victimised community in every infrastructural scheme, employment opportunity and other entrepreneurship sectors as most of the developmental projects from various ministries of central and State Governments provided as per District wise.
Having stated the above views, the DPA and NUG under the dynamic and visionary leadership of Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio and his council of Ministers, MLAs and bureaucrats are fervently appealed to look into the Tobu-Moka public grievance which is genuine demand for Up-gradation of District Hq on a compassionate ground. Only then it can be accelerated the developmental activities and also be relieved the prolonged suffering of the people due to geographical location obstacles and topographical problem in the region.
