The Ao Students’ Conference (AKM) has demanded that the Assam state government restore the signboards that were removed by the Assam forest guards at AKM Reserve Forest by May 12, 2022.
AKM president Nungdokyanger Ao and general secretary Nekmi Longkumer in a memo addressed to the deputy commissioner of Mokokchung issued today stated that the Assam government will be solely held responsible should “any unprecedented and unwanted situation arise” after the deadline. AKM also said that it anticipates “prompt action so as to maintain peaceful coexistence as neighbouring states.” AKM also mentioned that the big brother attitude of the Assam government towards all the “neighbouring states of Northeast India is becoming unbearable.”
AKM made this statement after a media report that “Assam forest guards removed the signboard” emerged on May 7. It said that the AKM Reserve Forest was “donated by Aokum village of Tzurangkong Range under Mokokchung District, Nagaland” and that the Ao Students’ Conference have never encroached others’ land till date. “The recent media telecast of removal of the reserved forest signboard is an act of high handedness and hurts the sentiments of all the Aos, particularly the students’ community,” AKM said.
AKM recollected that the Assam forest guards had on February 13, 2020 also removed the AKM signboard which the student body replaced only to be removed again by the Assam forest personnel again. AKM again replaced the signboard on August 4, 2021 which was removed by the Assam forest personnel again on May 7, 2022. This, the AKM condemned, was a cowardly act on the part of the Assam forest personnel. AKM also condemned the trans-border aggression carried out by Assam police in Yajang village recently.
Meanwhile, AKM also mentioned that it has been their longstanding demand to the government of Nagaland to establish a separate Border Affairs directorate. AKM also demanded that the foothill road must be completed without delay and that Village Guards be stationed in all the villages in the border belt areas to resolve the border issue with Assam.
AKM regretted that the government of Nagaland laid no emphasis on the border issue while the Assam government was employing its whole machinery to encroach on Naga soil.