Nagaland: NCD serves ultimatum on ARto vacate Dimapur airport land

Naga Council Dimapur (NCD), along with its affiliated civil society organisations (CSOs), on Monday issued a one-month ultimatum to the Assam Rifles Training Centre (ARTC) to completely vacate the occupied Dimapur Airport land.
In a press release, NCD president GK Rengma and general secretary Peter Anal cautioned that failure to comply within the stipulated period would compel NCD and its affiliates to initiate all democratic and peaceful forms of public agitation.
They said that the council along with its affiliated CSOs, after thorough deliberations, had collectively resolved to ensure the long-standing impasse over the airport land was resolved at the earliest.
NCD expressed strong objection to the continued occupation of 147.14 acres of Dimapur Airport land by ARTC, describing it as a serious impediment to the expansion and development of Nagaland’s only airport, which holds immense strategic, economic, and public importance.
The council noted that ARTC’s stance, contrary to its popular motto “Friends of the Hill People,” appeared to reflect “nefarious designs” aimed at stalling critical developmental infrastructure.
NCD asserted that clear and irrefutable documentary evidence confirmed that Dimapur Airport was formally handed over by the Indian Air Force to the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in 1987, transferring complete legal and administrative authority to AAI, Dimapur.
In light of this, NCD said any fabricated or untenable claims for compensation hold no locus standi. The council urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to intervene immediately to resolve the matter and safeguard the dignity and honour of one of the country’s oldest paramilitary forces.
Despite widespread public outcry and appeals from Naga CSOs, NCD described ARTC’s continued silence as “deafening” and indicative of the attitude of its leadership.