Correspondent
WOKHA, AUG 26 (NPN): Tension flared at Negheribil, a disputed area along the Assam-Nagaland border, on August 25 and 26 following confrontations involving village representatives, local residents and authorities, with the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO) alleging that three of its representatives were assaulted by a mob from Assam.
According to LLRPO joint secretary Zathungo Yanthan, the first incident occurred on August 25 when members of the Longayim village council were returning to their village after collecting rubber saplings from the Rubber Board of India for distribution among villagers.
Yanthan said the route to Longayim passes through disputed belt at Negheribil, where the Assam forest department had reportedly erected a barricade. The vehicle carrying the village council members was stopped and their movement restricted.
While discussions were underway with the authorities, a mob gathered at the site, resulting in a scuffle, he said. The situation was later brought under control following the intervention of police, civil administration officials and border magistrates from Assam and Nagaland. The village council members were subsequently allowed to proceed.
Tension escalated further on August 26 when the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Wokha visited the disputed area for an on-the-spot assessment and invited LLRPO representatives to join the visit, Yanthan said.
According to him, around 200 to 300 people from Assam had gathered at the site and were restricting movement when he was travelling to the area.
The chairmen of Longayim and Longchum village councils also arrived on two-wheelers. As the road was blocked, they sounded their horns, following which the mob allegedly became agitated and attacked the two village council chairmen.
Police personnel at the site intervened and brought the situation under control, Yanthan said.
LLRPO joint secretary further alleged that he was subsequently assaulted by members of the mob, who took away his mobile phone. He alleged that some women also slapped and manhandled him before police personnel intervened.
LLRPO strongly condemned the alleged assaults and demanded that those involved be identified and arrested.
On the eviction of families from the disputed area, Yanthan said LLRPO supported the eviction but maintained that it should be carried out jointly by the Assam and Nagaland governments rather than through unilateral action by Assam.
He urged the state government to take a strong stand on the issue, warning that failure to do so could lead to further escalation. “If the Nagaland government does not take a strong stand, the situation is going to escalate and it could create a huge problem for the state,” Yanthan said.
Yanthan also said Longayim, Mekirang and Longchum villages lacked motorable road connectivity and residents had to travel through Assam. He said this dependence was unsafe, particularly in view of recurring border disputes, and urged the state government to expedite the foothill road project and make the route motorable.
Yanthan called upon the authorities to take immediate steps to prevent further confrontation and ensure the safety of villagers and representatives travelling through the disputed area.