Fresh tension is reportedly brewing along the Assam–Nagaland border in the Mariani area of Jorhat district following allegations from the Assam side that forest land is once again being encroached upon, raising fears of renewed unrest in the region.
According to a report by Assam Tribune, local residents have alleged that forest land located barely 2.5 km from the Mariani New Sonowal Range Forest Office has been cleared in full public view. The report claimed that following large-scale forest destruction in the Dissoi and Tiru Hills areas, Naga settlers are now allegedly asserting control over parts of the Dissoi Valley Reserved Forest by felling valuable trees and preparing to establish illegal settlements.
The report further alleged that despite repeated complaints of illegal encroachment and large-scale destruction of forest cover, the Assam Forest Department has remained a “silent spectator,” citing the absence of directives from higher authorities. Villagers reportedly claimed that officials were compelled to “sit idle with folded hands” instead of taking concrete steps to protect the reserved forest.
Another resident was quoted as saying that authorities had repeatedly informed them that the matter had been reported to higher officials, but no visible action had followed so far.
The Assam Tribune report also stated that allegations of occupation of protected forest land in Assam have persisted for years, with settlements allegedly coming up and paved roads reportedly being constructed under various government schemes to improve connectivity in the encroached areas. Significant portions of the Dissoi Valley and Tiru Hills forest areas are also alleged to have been encroached upon, with rubber and tea plantations established on the seized land, while efforts by the Assam government to reclaim these areas have reportedly made little progress.
Earlier in September, villagers of Seuji had alleged that officials from the Nagaland administration conducted a land survey inside the village, triggering tension in the Disputed Area Block (DAB). The villagers reportedly claimed that despite repeated intrusions, neither the Jorhat district administration nor the Mariani police had taken the matter seriously.
In June last year, reports had also emerged of armed groups from Nagaland allegedly occupying Assam land, clearing protected forest areas, and setting up settlements and rubber plantations, triggering fresh fear among locals. Residents of Nagajangka village were quoted as alleging that agricultural land once cultivated by Assam residents had been seized to establish a rubber plantation, reportedly by members of the Naga community.
Border tensions between Nagaland and Assam are not new and have flared up repeatedly over the years. In 2022, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio convened a meeting with Select Committee members and local committees from border districts including Mon, Longleng, Mokokchung, Wokha, Tseminyu, Niuland, Dimapur and Peren to examine the long-standing border issue.
It may be recalled that tensions escalated in June 2021 after Assam police allegedly attempted to establish camps near Vikuto village in Mokokchung district, bordering Mariani under the Tzürangkong range. Following this, both state governments agreed to monitor the disputed border areas using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and satellite imagery to maintain the status quo and de-escalate the standoff at the Dissoi Valley Reserved Forest and Tzürangkong Valley.
Later that month, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly unanimously adopted a three-point resolution to resolve the border issue, one of which stated that the dispute with Assam should be resolved peacefully between the two state administrations outside of court. A Select Committee of the House was also constituted to examine all aspects of the Assam–Nagaland boundary dispute.
Despite these measures, multiple incidents of border tension have continued to be reported.
It may also be noted that on several occasions in the past, Assam Tribune reports on border-related incidents have been contradicted by information sourced from the Nagaland side. However, in the present instance, no comments were received from Nagaland government officials at the time of filing this report.