Kohima: Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton on Thursday told the state assembly that the government is keeping a close watch on eviction drives carried out by Assam in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) along the inter-state border.
Patton, who also holds the border affairs portfolio, said the first reports of Assam’s survey activity in reserve forest areas reached Nagaland on July 16.
The following day, Nagaland’s border magistrate raised the matter with his counterpart in Surapathar, leading to a joint verification and a coordination meeting of officials from Niuland, Wokha and Golaghat on July 22.
On July 24, Patton, along with MLA Achumbemo Kikon and representatives of Lotha Hoho, Lotha Students’ Union and Western Sumi Hoho, visited the affected sites in Wokha and Niuland to assess the situation.
A week later, the Nagaland cabinet resolved that eviction exercises must be conducted jointly by both states to prevent unilateral action and check illegal immigration.
Tensions flared again on August 21 when Assam’s Forest Department began preparing plantations and setting up boundary pillars in Wokha district.
Local protests prompted Nagaland’s chief secretary to issue a statement insisting that all activities in the DAB be carried out jointly.
This was followed by another round of talks between Wokha and Golaghat officials the same day.
Patton said that after intervention by both chief ministers, he met Assam Forest Minister and Surapathar legislator on August 23, accompanied by MLAs Y. Mhonbemo Humtsoe and Achumbemo Kikon.
Both sides agreed to put plantation and boundary work on hold until further discussion at the chief ministerial level.
On August 26, the Nagaland cabinet decided to evict illegal settlers in disputed areas and directed that future plantation drives must be coordinated among local administrations, police, forest officials and residents.
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The cabinet also resolved to write to the Union Home Ministry, flagging concerns over the presence of 45 permanent Assam Police posts in the DAB — a violation, Patton said, of the 1972 Interim Agreement under which Nagaland withdrew its own five permanent posts.
The state also objected to CRPF operations being controlled solely by Assam Police rather than under joint command.
To strengthen response mechanisms, the cabinet has agreed in principle to set up a Special Border Response Force comprising personnel from the Border Affairs, Police and Forest departments.
Patton urged people to be cautious about unverified information and assured that the government is pursuing the issue at both state and central levels to protect the interests of residents in the border belt.
