The Hindu : National : Tension along Assam-Nagaland border

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 03, 2005

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National

Tension along Assam-Nagaland border

By Sushanta Talukdar

GUWAHATI, APRIL 2. Tension gripped the Merapani area of Sector D of the Assam-Nagaland border today as the Nagaland Government cancelled a village recognition programme at Daldali village in Golaghat district of Assam aimed at registring the village as a Naga one.

The Neutral Force deployed in the area last night removed the structures erected by the Wokha district administration for today's programme after Assam's Golaghat district administration raised objections.

The Nagaland Agriculture Minister, T.N. Lotha, who was to lay a foundation stone as part of the village recognition programme had to cancel his visit following a bandh called in Merapani by the local people.

The Deputy Commissioner of Assam's Golaghat district, J.B. Ekka, told The Hindu that he had lodged a formal protest with the Deputy Commissioner of Wokha district.

"Since Daldali is a village of Assam, any programme by [the] Nagaland Government to claim it as their village is highly objectionable. We also asked the Neutral Force that such [a] programme should not be allowed and the status quo should be maintained. The Neutral Force deployed in the area removed a dais and a foundation stone, which the Nagaland Minister had planned to lay to recognise Daldalias a village of Nagaland."

The Wokha Deputy Commissioner, E. Ezung, said that the village belonged to Nagaland and was never an Assamese one. He accused the Neutral Force of "acting on Assam's order" instead of playing a neutral role.

The border dispute between Assam and Nagaland has been continuing since the first clash in 1968 when Nagaland police attacked Assamese villagers at the Doyang forest reserve. A similar incident took place at Rengma forest reserve of Karbi Anglong on January 5, 1979.

The worst clash occurred on June 4, 1985, when over 100 people died in firing between Assam and Nagaland police at Merapani. That incident led to the two States signing an interim agreement to maintain status quo along the border.

The Centre deployed the Central Reserve Police Force as a "neutral force."

However, both States have been periodically accusing one another of violating the agreement. While Assam claims its neighbour has encroached on its land, Nagaland accuses Assam of setting up police outposts in several "disputed areas."

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