Mokokchung, June 26 (MTNews): In yet another report of incursion from the Assam side of the inter-state border, which has the potential to flare up tension along the Assam-Nagaland border, intruders numbering around 90 of them including about 40 personnel of Assam police reportedly intruded into Yajang C village and destroyed some plantations and nurseries.
The intruders were allegedly from Rankhom Gaon in Assam who destroyed tea, rubber, and areca nut nurseries and plantations of Yajang C village. Imtionen, Chairman of Yajang C Village Council told Mokokchung Times that the incident occurred on Sunday morning around 10:30 a.m.
He stated that the intruders not only destroyed the plantations but also sprayed herbicides to kill their rice crops and took away some of their farm tools and other materials including kitchen utensils and a water container.
Last month, this newspaper had reported on a similar incident in which EAC LongchemAMP came for observation and requested the deployment of Nagaland Police personnel to patrol the area. According to the village council chairman, this Sunday’s incident damaged farms belonging to Shilutoshi and Moakumzuk for the second time.
Related news here: Tension reported at Nagaland-Assam borderAMP
Despite having border issues in other areas, he claimed that the area destroyed this time had never been disputed before. “We’ve been farming on this property for about 7-8 years. It is not a disputed area,” he stated.
“In addition, the fields beyond ours are our village territory. Because a tea company encroached on our land over there,” he explained, “the village council negotiated with the company, and they are now being taxed by us.”
Despite Nagaland government officials reporting at the scene after the previous incident in May and suggesting that police officers patrol the area, such initiatives were found to be ineffective.
“We have informed both police officers and government officials even this time, but such incidents are becoming far too common,” the village council chairman said.
“This time, the village councils have decided that something must be done to force them to reconsider their actions,” he concluded.