The Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (WC, NNPGs) has demanded Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to withdraw ‘any kind of Memorandum of understanding (MoU)’ signed with Assam. The committee has warned that any agreement with Assam Government at this crucial juncture ‘shall be considered as a direct attempt to sell off Naga rights for which the consequences will be widespread and unimaginable.’
Rio and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had on 20th this month agreed in principle to go ahead with oil exploration in areas along their disputed boundary for the economic benefit of both states. Rio confirmed to reporters that the two states have in principle decided to go for an MoU on oil exploration in the disputed areas so that oil can be extracted, and royalties can be shared between the neighbouring states.
Meanwhile, WC, NNPGs has on Sunday called any MoU on the disturbed, unresolved boundary Areas and mineral exploration attempt ‘immoral and unacceptable to the stakeholders’ ‘as it is guarded by Naga historical and political sanctity’.
The Committee further said that the unresolved border areas is a core part of the Indo-Naga political talks and the States’ governments did not have the power to negotiate or enter into mutual agreements on oil exploration on those areas where dispute and violence on land has ‘cost hundreds of innocent lives and Police personnel’.
Warning that ‘premature’ MoUs’ could have serious consequences, it maintained, ‘Political leaders should not take the peaceful situation as a license to do anything they wish on land and resources.’
WC, NNPGs stated that elected MLAs from oil bearing areas of Mon, Longleng, Mokokchung, Wokha, Niuland, Dimapur and Peren must understand that the proposed MoU is another scam of the government’s ‘to loot the future of the Naga people’.
“Let it be known that Nagas are solely land owners in the disturb area belt and they have every right to adopt any measure to protect historical and customary rights over land against blatant misuse of power and authority by embezzlers and profiteers,” it added.
Furthermore, the committee stated that it is ‘disturbed because the opposition less Government in Nagaland is increasingly exhibiting traits of authoritarianism’ and urged people to speak up ‘when political and historical rights are shelved into cold storage and societal fabric is twisted roughly through economic imbalances.’
WC, NNPGs has not surrendered our ancestral land to any neighbouring States, it maintained while hoping for peaceful resolution.
The Government of India, it said has ‘clearly understood the Naga position and aspiration on the historical, political and possible administrative realignments’ and stressed that CM Rio too must ‘understand the irrefutable body of work of WC, NNPGs in consultation with Naga tribes and relevant Civil societies during and after political negotiations with the Gol.’
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