The Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO), the apex body representing the Chakhesang community, has expressed its “firm opposition” to the proposed installation of advanced mountain radar systems at Pfutsero under the Government of India’s high-altitude defence program.
In a statement, the CPO said “the absence of transparent, location-specific safety studies and the lack of informed public consent render this project wholly unacceptable in any form.”
The organization stated that “an initiative of such magnitude, with far-reaching implications for human health, land, and livelihoods, cannot be imposed without the knowledge, participation, and approval of the people directly affected.”
Raising health concerns, the CPO said the proposed deployment of “high-powered radar systems raises serious concerns regarding electromagnetic radiation exposure,” particularly in “a high-altitude and densely inhabited area like Pfutsero.”
It said the “absence of publicly available, site-specific health impact assessments, radiation benchmarks, and clearly defined safety buffer zones has only deepened public apprehension,” adding that “without credible and independently verified data, the local population cannot be expected to accept assurances at face value where long-term health risks may be involved.”
On environmental implications, the CPO described Pfutsero and surrounding areas as “ecologically sensitive and agriculturally dependent,” warning that “any large-scale installation poses risks to catchment areas, natural water systems, biodiversity, and land stability.”
According to the organization, such disruptions “would directly impact agriculture, livelihoods, and food security, which are intrinsically tied to the land and environment.”
The CPO also voiced concern over land rights and civil liberties, stating that “similar defence installations” often lead to “restrictions on land use and civilian movement.”
It said “limitations on access to residential and agricultural lands, the creation of controlled zones, and potential conflicts with authorities are unacceptable in a region where land is deeply tied to identity, inheritance, and community survival.”
Expressing concern over what it described as a prolonged lack of public disclosure, the CPO said a project “reportedly conceived as far back as 2014 has remained largely undisclosed to the public.”
The organisation “unequivocally holds the State Government responsible for initiating and permitting the advancement of such a sensitive project without prior consultation, approval, or informed consent of the people,” calling it “a grave breach of public trust and a disregard for established democratic and customary processes.”
The CPO has demanded “immediate halt to all plans for installation at Pfutsero” and called for “relocation of the proposed radar system outside Nagaland, preferably to uninhabited or less sensitive areas.”
The organisation said the Chakhesang community “has always stood as proud Naga patriots, upholding the principles of peace, dignity, and self-determination,” and therefore “firmly rejects the imposition of defence installations within its jurisdiction.”
Invoking the historic Naga memorandum to the Simon Commission, the CPO reaffirmed the phrase “Leave us alone,” stating that it “continues to reflect the collective aspiration to live without external imposition on our land, rights, and way of life.”
“The Chakhesang Public Organisation categorically opposes the proposed radar installation at Pfutsero. Any attempt to proceed will be met with firm, democratic, and united resistance,” the statement added.