United Naga Tribes Association on Border Areas (UNTABA) said it was deeply discouraged over news reports regarding the agreement between the chief ministers of Assam and Nagaland for oil exploration in the ‘Disputed Area Belts’ (DAB) between the two States.
UNTABA chairman Hukavi T Yeputhomi and general secretary Imsumongba Pongen in a statement reminded that the boundary dispute between the two states was sub-judice since the ‘Civil Suit No. 2’ of 1988 filed by Assam government under AGP against Election Commission of India, Home Ministry and Nagaland government was still pending at the Supreme Court.
As such, they asserted that until and unless the civil suit was withdrawn by the appellant, no positive steps could be undertaken by both the appellant and defendant.
They recalled that the chief ministers of both Assam and Nagaland had announced on January 24, 2022 at Guwahati that the boundary disputes would be settled outside the court, which was a welcome step.
They said a UNTABA team held a meeting with Atul Bora, minister in charge of Border Affairs of Assam, on January 26, 2022 at Jorhat and requested him to consider withdrawing the civil suit filed by then AGP government of Assam so that the boundary dispute between the two States could be solved outside the court. They claimed that the minister had admitted that the civil suit was an impediment.
Therefore, UNTABA asserted that any exploration for mineral resources, including petroleum products, in DAB between the two States was uncalled for and impractical since the issue was sub-judice and that Nagas would never accept the wrong interpretations of historical facts over their land. They pointed out that Dissoi valley, Geleki and Merapani areas were not the only disputed areas as reported by the media. In fact, according to them, the historical realities of Naga people over their land covered 4,974.16 square miles or an equivalent of 12,883.07 sqkm, which roughly covered present Diphu, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts.
They said the issue had been conveyed to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, Centre’s interlocutor for peace talks and Naga national political groups on various occasions.
They mentioned that UNTABA had been assured by the Centre as well as the negotiating parties of NNPGs that an “independent and empowered committee” on boundary issue between the two States would be formed to settle the issue. They claimed that this was assured by Home Minister Amit Shah and then Centre’s interlocutor RN Ravi.
Therefore, they demanded that Nagaland government should initiate practical steps to persuade Assam government to withdraw the civil suit first and foremost so that the present intent of the Nagaland government could be implemented. Otherwise, they warned that there would be repercussions.
UNTABA irked by decision to explore oil in DABs
