The Ao Senden, the apex organization of the Ao Naga community, submitted a Representation to the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar on 19th November 2024 where it highlighted its concerns regarding the protracted Naga political issue, Centre’s decision to do away with the Free Movement Regime (FMR) in Indo-Myanmar border and boundary issues between Nagaland and Assam.
On the Naga political issue, the Ao Senden appealed that the “basing on the Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position, a solution be made at the earliest”. It also stressed that it is pertinent that all the competencies or points for agreement attendant to the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position should also be brought into the domain of the public for thorough and comprehensive discussions.
The Organization’s President, Marsanen Imsong, and General Secretary, Imtipokyim, highlighted the proliferation of factions among the Naga political groups and urged that “no new faction that comes into being as from today onward should be recognized and no ceasefire agreement should be made with such newly created faction by the Government of India.”
On the decision to repeal the Free Movement Regime (FMR) in the Indo-Myanmar border, the Ao Senden stated that it was “cruel” on the part of the Government of India “to deny the basic right of the Nagas to work for their livelihood by fencing the Nagas from cultivating even their arable land let alone enjoy the fruits of forest products on which we are depended due to lack of developments in the border areas.” It requested the Governments of India and Nagaland to do away with these illogical ideas of abrogating the Free Movement Regime and border fencing at the earliest.
On the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change according approval for diversion of 28 ha of forest land for construction of a Assam Police Commando Bn. camp at “Suptsuyong Lu” which is under Mokokchung District and the traditional land belonging to Kangtsung Village, the Organisation pointed out that the Assam Government has already started construction works claiming it to be under Geleky Reserve Forest of Sivasagar District. It requested that the approval accorded by the MoEFCC be withdrawn and the Government of Assam be made to vacate the encroached land “because we will not part even with an inch of our ancestral traditional land.”
Further, on the MoEFCC according permission for diversion of 4.4998 ha of forest land for drilling oil and gas exploration to M/s Vedanta Limited (Division Cairn Oil & Gas) on the recommendation of the Assam Government aiming the land to be under Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest of Jorhat District, Assam, the Ao Senden has stated that the said forest land is actually situated in Tsurangkong Range, inside Mokokchung District and not in Jorhat District of Assam.
It mentioned that subsequent to the approval, officials from the company, accompanied by Assam Government officials had visited the land in Mokokchung for inspection on 15th November 2024 but were “turned away from the spot by the Ao Naga Community of the surrounding villages of Mokokchung District.”
The Ao Senden stated that “the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change is playing a mischievous game by according approval/clearance on ancestral traditional forest lands belonging to Ao Naga Community of Mokokchung District and abetting the Government of Assam in land encroachments.” It noted that GPS can be manipulated and maps can be drawn as such and stressed that the ground realities of all the lands should be verified on the spots and all stakeholders should be taken into confidence before any approval/clearance is made by the Union Ministry.
“These actions are provocations which may lead to conflict, loss of live and property, which we cannot ignore if corrective measures are not taken by the Government of India at the earliest,” the Ao Senden stated, expressing its heartfelt desire that there should be no disputes and warm relations will be maintained between sister States of Nagaland and Assam.
