Ao Senden declares opposition to Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, 2023

August 10, 2023 49 Views No Comment

Urges NLA to pass resolution against Act with special session

Mokokchung, August 10 (MExN): The Ao Senden today declared its opposition to the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act, (FCAA) 2023 and strongly urged the State Government to pass a resolution in the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) against its implementation in the State.

Summon a special Assembly session and immediately pass a resolution against the implementation of the FCAA 2023 in the State of Nagaland in the exercise of Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India, it added.

The contentious FCAA 2023, passed by both Houses of the Parliament during the ongoing monsoon session, received President’s assent on August 4 and was published in the official gazette on the same day, implying its enforcement.

Meanwhile, the Ao Senden stated that it is very unfortunate that the Union government introduced the Amendment despite concerns raised against certain provisions of the new law from various quarters across India.

Some of the proposed exemptions in the amended Act, particularly the 100km exemption for environmental clearance for forests along international borders to be used for construction of strategic linear projects of national importance, and those concerning national security, is a serious matter of concern, it asserted.

These concerns have the potential to cause unrest in the North-East States in general and Nagaland in particular, stated the Ao Senden in the release issued by its President Chubawati Longchar and General Secretary Imtipokyim.

“The amended Act will leave our lands without any protection from arbitrary diversion and decisions of the Union government as it excludes obtaining prior consent from village councils and local district authorities,’” it contended.

It would further speed up the “destruction of forests in the rich, biodiverse regions of the North-East and the rest of the country without a doubt,” it added.

Apart from environmental and social issues, what is more pressing for the Nagas is the potential impact on land, the Senden stressed.

“For the Naga people, land belongs to the people. Every Naga village has its own sovereign authority over its land,” it stated.
However, with the new Act, the apex social organisation of the Ao Tribe expressed serious apprehension that it would “usurp our land.”

“Lawmakers in New Delhi making arbitrary laws for us without our knowledge and consent to usurp our land is undemocratic and unacceptable,” it stated.

In addition, it further highlighted that the Government of India in recent times has been making majoritarian policies without taking into consideration the rights of the minority communities.

The FCCA 2023 along with “other such arbitrary laws are seen as a planned move towards establishing a unitary government undermining Indian federalism,” it maintained.

Accordingly, the Ao Senden urged the Government of Nagaland to summon a special NLA session and immediately pass a resolution.