LLRPO seeks intervention over proposed eviction of 59 families

DIMapur, AUG 17 (NPN): The Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO) has expressed serious concern over the reported decision of the Golaghat district administration and Assam Forest department to resume the eviction of 59 families residing at No. 2 Negheribil, Merapani, with a deadline of August 18.
In a representation to the Border Magistrate, Bhandari Sub-Division, LLRPO president Alex Kithan said the matter required immediate intervention by the Nagaland Government, particularly as No. 2 Negheribil falls within the jurisdiction of Longayim and Mekirang villages in Nagaland. It said land in the area was transferred by Naga landowners to the present occupants through sale agreements, with such documents reportedly available with the concerned landowners.
The organisation said an eviction carried out solely by Assam should not be allowed to establish or strengthen a claim that the disputed land belongs to Assam.
Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation urged the Nagaland government to activate appropriate administrative and legal mechanisms and engage with the Assam government before any eviction is undertaken. It said if an eviction was legally warranted, it should not proceed unilaterally in a territory whose ownership and jurisdiction remain disputed, and called for appropriate coordination between the governments of Assam and Nagaland without prejudicing the territorial and land rights of Nagaland and its indigenous landowners.
It urged the Nagaland government to immediately verify and document the historical and present land ownership through the concerned village authorities, landowners and official records of Longayim and Mekirang; ascertain the exact location and jurisdiction of No. 2 Negheribil, including traditional village boundaries and relevant land records; and engage urgently with the Assam Government to ensure no unilateral eviction or consequential occupation or administrative action was undertaken until the jurisdictional and land-ownership issues were properly addressed.
LLRPO further urged that if the occupants were ultimately evicted pursuant to a lawful judicial process, the underlying land should not automatically be treated as Assam Government land and the legitimate rights of the original Naga landowners and concerned villages should be recognised and protected.
The organisation said the issue was not merely about the eviction of 59 families but had serious implications for Nagaland’s territorial interests, the rights of indigenous landowners and the unresolved Assam-Nagaland border question.
LLRPO requested the Border Magistrate, Bhandari Sub-Division, 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.