Nagaland demand for Mangkolemba district intensifies

The demand for upgrading Mangkolemba Sub-Division into a full-fledged district has gained renewed momentum, with the District Demand Committee, Mangkolemba (DDCM) resubmitting a detailed memorandum to chief minister Neiphiu Rio.
The memorandum, reiterating a long-pending demand first placed before the government on October 24, 2017, was signed by DDCM convenor C. Onen Walling, Jangpetkong Senso Mungdang president C. Imkong, Japukong Senso Senden president Imdong Ngoba and Tsurangkong Senso Senden president M. Moa Aoki.
DDCM traced the administrative evolution of Mangkolemba, noting that the Circle Office, established in 1961 to oversee the erstwhile Changkikong (now Jangpetkong) and Japukong ranges, was gradually strengthened over the decades—first upgraded to EAC in 1967, then to SDO (C) in 1980, and later to ADC headquarters in 1991. With the subsequent addition of Tsurangkong range, the Sub-Division’s jurisdiction expanded significantly, both in size and population.
It pointed out that Mangkolemba Sub-Division presently encompasses three of the six ranges in Mokokchung district, accounting for nearly half of the district’s total geographical area.
Given its extensive boundaries, including a long and sensitive stretch adjoining Assam, DDCM said the Sub-Division has been particularly vulnerable to border-related tensions and law-and-order challenges. It argued that a stronger administrative framework was essential to protect the interests, safety and welfare of residents living along the interstate border.
Highlighting longstanding developmental challenges, the DDCM stated that inadequate road connectivity and communication facilities had severely hindered progress in the region. According to the memorandum, the poor condition of roads has delayed or prevented effective implementation of central and state government schemes. It added that medical emergencies have, in the past, resulted in loss of lives due to the absence of reliable road links and health facilities, leaving the region at “a very low human development index.”
Reflecting on the region’s situation after more than six decades of Nagaland’s statehood, the Committee expressed concern that Mangkolemba continues to suffer from poor infrastructure, weak communication links and limited developmental intervention. It maintained that the Sub-Division’s physical distance from Mokokchung headquarters has contributed to neglect in several areas, leaving large pockets of the region without meaningful progress.
Reiterating its central demand, the memorandum stated that the factors outlined were “only some among the many” that justified the upgradation of Mangkolemba to a full-fledged district. “It is the wish of the entire people under Mangkolemba Sub-Division,” DDCM said, urging the chief minister to take “considerate action” and approve the creation of the district at the earliest.