Nagaland blockade suspended for a day, 2 states agree to talk for resolution
Several organizations in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district had started the indefinite economic blockade of Nagaland from Tuesday citing alleged illegal encroachments by the neighbouring state.
The indefinite economic blockade of Nagaland on NH-39 over alleged encroachment of Assam land has been suspended for Wednesday after authorities from both sides met to discuss the issue on Tuesday and further talks were proposed for Wednesday.
Karbi students’ association (KSA) president Bijoy Bey said government officials in Assam conveyed that their Nagaland counterparts have assured to maintain status quo on the disputed area till further resolution and have requested the organisations to call off the blockade.
“The deputy commissioner of Karbi Anglong has convened a meeting with us on Wednesday to further discuss the matter, so, until then, we have decided to suspend the economic blockade,” Bey said. However, he stressed that the blockade call was only being kept in abeyance and the organizations were not calling it off yet.
Earlier Tuesday, a team led by Nagaland’s Dimapur deputy commissioner and commissioner of police conducted a joint spot visit with deputy commissioner Diphu (Assam) and other officials, which was followed by a meeting.
Several organizations in Assam’s Karbi Anglong district had started the indefinite economic blockade of Nagaland from Tuesday citing alleged illegal encroachments by the neighbouring state.
Led by Karbi Students Association (KSA), the organisations blocked NH 39 from 8:00 am on Tuesday. Several trucks carrying goods and other commercial vehicles were stranded because of the blockade.
There are allegations that Nagaland authorities have issued land certificates to people in areas falling in the Daldali forest reserve, under Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) region in Assam.
Authorities in Assam also allege that border pillars demarcating the 512 km long boundary between both states have been removed by people from Nagaland in order to encroach on Assam territory.
“Encroachment of Assam territory has been going on for many years, but the state government has failed to stop it. Hence, we have decided to impose the indefinite economic blockade against it,” Bey, president of KSA told journalists on Sunday.
The Dimapur authorities maintained that the boundary as per British map was not accepted by Nagaland side and the case is sub judice in the Supreme Court, said officials.
On allegations that the Nagaland government issued land certificates to Naga people on Assam land in Karbi Anglong and Jorhat districts, the official denied that no such papers were issued.
Nagaland and Assam share a 512 km boundary and a dispute that’s going on for over five decades. Nagaland has been claiming some portions of Assam as theirs while the latter is accusing the former of encroaching thousands of hectares of its land.
Both states have refused to accept recommendations of two commissions set up by the Centre to solve the issue and a suit is pending in Supreme Court on the issue since 1988.
There have been several violent clashes on the issue. Over 100 people have been killed, most of them on the Assam side, in attacks by armed men from Nagaland in separate incidents in 1979, 1985 and 2014.