The Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO) has urged the Nagaland Government to urgently intervene in the proposed eviction of 59 families from No. 2 Negheribil, Merapani, along the Assam–Nagaland border, scheduled for August 18.
In a representation to the Border Magistrate, Bhandari Sub-Division, LLRPO President, Dr Alex Kithan expressed serious concern over the reported decision of the Golaghat District Administration and Assam Forest Department to resume the eviction exercise.
The organisation claimed that the area identified as No. 2 Negheribil falls within the jurisdiction of Longayim and Mekirang villages in Nagaland. It further stated that the land was reportedly transferred by Naga landowners to the present occupants through sale agreements, with documents relating to the transactions said to be available with the concerned landowners.
LLRPO cautioned that any unilateral eviction by Assam should not, by implication or subsequent administrative action, be allowed to establish or strengthen a claim that the disputed land falls within Assam.
The organization, therefore, called upon the Nagaland Government to immediately activate appropriate administrative and legal mechanisms and engage with the Assam Government before any eviction is carried out.
“If an eviction is legally warranted, it should not be permitted to proceed as a unilateral exercise by Assam in a territory whose ownership and jurisdiction remain disputed,” the organisation said, adding that any such action should be undertaken through appropriate coordination between the two State governments without prejudicing Nagaland’s territorial and land rights.
LLRPO urged the Nagaland Government to immediately verify and document the historical and present ownership of the land through the concerned village authorities, landowners and official records of Longayim and Mekirang.
It also sought verification of the exact location and jurisdiction of No. 2 Negheribil, including traditional village boundaries and relevant land records, rather than allowing the matter to be determined solely on the basis of Assam’s administrative classification.
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The organisation further appealed to the State Government to urgently engage with Assam and seek a halt to any unilateral eviction or consequential occupation or administrative action until the jurisdictional and land-ownership issues are properly examined.
LLRPO also maintained that even if the occupants are eventually evicted through a lawful judicial process, such eviction should not automatically result in the underlying land being treated as Assam Government land. It said the legitimate rights of the original Naga landowners and concerned villages must be recognised and protected.
“This is not merely an issue concerning the eviction of 59 families,” LLRPO said, asserting that the matter had wider implications for Nagaland’s territorial interests, indigenous land rights and the unresolved Assam–Nagaland border question.
The organisation warned that failure to intervene at this stage could have consequences extending beyond the immediate eviction exercise.
LLRPO urged the Border Magistrate to treat the matter as urgent and initiate necessary action with the competent authorities of the Nagaland Government while keeping the concerned village authorities and landowners informed.
“The Government of Nagaland cannot remain a silent spectator where an action by another State has the potential to affect the territorial and land rights of its people,” the organisation stated.
