To,
Shri. Bandi Sanjay Kumar Ji,
Hon’ble Minister of State For Home.
Government of India.
Camp: Mokokchung, Nagaland.
Sub:- REPRESENTATION.
Hon’ble Sir,
The undersigned on behalf of the Ao Senden, the apex civil organization of the Ao Naga Community of Mokokchung District have the honour to humbly submit the following prayers for your kind consideration and necessary action please.
1. That, the present peace talks for a solution of the protracted Naga political issue is ongoing for about 27 years is becoming like a Sisyphean affair and becoming an item for the Guinness world record. We pray that basing on the Framework Agreement and the Agreed Position, a solution be made at the earliest. It is also pertinent that all the competencies or points for agreement attendant to the Framework Agreement and Agreed Position should also be brought into the domain of the public for thorough and comprehensive discussions. That, at the present juncture due to this unsolved Naga political issue varied problems are being faced by the people of Nagaland. That, in the recent past we have seen some proliferation of factions among the negotiating parties. So, it is our prayer that no new faction that comes into being as from today onward should be recognized and no ceasefire agreement should be made with such newly created faction by the Government of India.
2. That, we are shocked beyond words at the callous and arbitrary attitude of the Government of India (GoI) to do away with the Free Movement Regime (FMR). Naked colonialism was practiced on the Naga by both India and Burma (Myanmar) in dividing the Nagas at their whims and fancies on watersheds lines only, without taking into consideration the Nagas inhabiting these tracts of land. The people, families and villages are divided by these arbitrarily imposed lines on the Nagas which is very painful and cruel to the Nagas. This cruel attitude on the part of Government of India without taking into consideration the welfare of the Nagas does not show even a semblance of the much acclaimed welfare government. But this shows the suppressive attitude of the Government of India to deny the basic right of the Nagas to work for their livelihood by fencing the Nagas from cultivating even their arable land let alone enjoy the fruits of forest products on which we are depended due to lack of developments in the border areas.
That, this is not an era to fence the Nagas like animals in a limited space but to let us thrive and prosper in our own land according to our capabilities without any undue and enforced restrictions. We request upon the Governments of India and Nagaland to do away with these illogical ideas of abrogating the Free Movement Regime and border fencing at the earliest.
3 . That, the Union Ministry of Forest & Climate Change has accorded approval for diversion of 28ha of forest land for construction of a Assam Police Commando Bn. camp at “Suptsuyong Lu” which is under Mokokchung District and the traditional land belonging to Kangtsung Village. But the Government of Assam has already started construction works claiming it to be under Geleky Reserve Forest of Sivasagar District. We pray that, the approval accorded by the Union Ministry of Forest & Climate Change be withdrawn and the Government of Assam be made to vacate the encroached land by your Hon’ble Ministry, because we will not part even with an inch of our ancestral traditional land.
4. That, again the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change has accorded permission for diversion of 4.4998 ha of forest land for drilling oil and Gas exploration to M/s Vedanta Limited (Division Cairn Oil & Gas) on the recommendation of the Assam Government claiming the land to be under Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest of Jorhat District of Assam. Whereas, the 4.4998 ha of forest land for drilling oil and Gas exploration permitted to M/s Vedanta Limited (Division Cairn Oil & Gas) is situated in Tsurangkong Range, inside Mokokchung District and not in Jorhat District of Assam. That, basing on that approval, the company officials accompanied by Assam Government officials came to the site for inspection at Mokokchung District of Nagaland on the 15th of November 2024. But they were turned away from the spot by the Ao Naga Community of the surrounding villages of Mokokchung District.
That, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change is playing a mischievous game by according approval/clearance on ancestral traditional forest lands belonging to Ao Naga Community of Mokokchung District and abetting the Government of Assam in land encroachments. That, GPS can be manipulated and maps can be drawn as such. But the ground realities of all the lands should be verified on the spots and take into confidence all stakeholders before any approval/clearance is made by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, but neither unilateral nor ex-parte decisions should be made. These actions are provocations which may lead to conflict, loss of live and property, which we cannot ignore if corrective measures are not taken by the Government of India at the earliest. It is our heartfelt desire that there should be no disputes and warm relations will be maintained between sister States of Nagaland and Assam.
Therefore, we earnestly request your esteemed and Hon’ble authority to kindly look into the matters as above discussed representation and take necessary actions as prayed. We shall be highly indebted and grateful to you ever.
Thanking you
Yours faithfully,
Sd/-
Marsanen Imsong
President
Sd/-
Imtipokyim
General Secretary