Border issue to be resolved peacefully: DG

Correspondent KOHIMA, JUL 16 (NPN) : Nagaland director general of police (DGP) TJ Longkumer assured that the situation along inter-State border with Assam would be assessed and disputes resolved in a legal manner, not by show of force.

Speaking to Nagaland Post after leading a high-level team of senior government and police officials to the border area at Tzürangkong village in Mokokchung district Thursday, the DGP said both chief minister Neiphiu Rio and deputy chief minister Y. Patton deputed him and Commissioner Nagaland Rovilato Mor, to visit the area as public there were agitated over recent incidents.

The DGP said the team was instructed to assess the situation, speak to the people and civil society groups and report back to the government.

During the meeting the DGP said he made an appeal to people to remain calm as there is a system through which issues could be resolved. During the two-day visit to the area, the DGP said the team also met public organisations , whom he lauded for assuring they would maintain tranquillity with people on the other side of inter-State border.

Longkumer said the team visited the area before Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had instructed the Assam Police to set up camps in the border area.

The DGP also rewarded a havildar of the IRB with Rs 5,000 for having handled the situation peacefully and legally during the tension in the border area at Vikuto village under Tzurangkong Range, Mokokchung district on June 29.

The team comprised of DGP Nagaland, Commissioner Nagaland Rovilatuo Mor, IGP (NPTO) Imlisunep, DIG (border) Vidalalie Zashumo, DIG (IR) North Sendongmeren, Mokokchung SP, ADC Mangkolemba, border magistrate Merangmen and other district administration officials.

TSM, TNYF ask state govt to settle dispute immediately
Meanwhile, Tzürangkong Senso Mungdang (TSM) and Tzürangkong Naga Youth Front (TNYF) have demanded that the State government settle the present border issue at the earliest and prevent all future incursions into ancestral lands of Nagas.
At the meeting with the high-level delegation that visited Tzürangkong on Thursday, leaders of TSM and TNFY assured the official team of their full cooperation to the administration in order to maintain tranquillity among the people of the two States.
The meeting was held with the objective of finding an amicable solution to the current tension in the border between Nagaland and Assam. In a joint statement, TNYF president and general secretary said that both TSM and TNFY highlighted the grievances vis-à-vis border issues to the senior officers present at the meeting.
The DGP briefed the two organisations of the government’s plan to realign sufficient security forces in the area at the earliest possible time to maintain status quo and avoid further encroachment.
The commissioner informed leaders of TSM and TNYF that chief ministers of Nagaland and Assam were scheduled to meet soon and hence called for calm in order to avoid confrontation between the two States.

RPP demands white paper on border issue
Reacting to the Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s recent announcement to set up armed police battalion camps at strategic locations along the Assam-Nagaland boundary, the newly floated Rising People’s Party (RPP) has demanded that the ruling PDA government in the state bring out a white paper “categorically making its stand clear on the border issue with clear actionable plans.”
In a press release, RPP president Joel Naga and general secretary Amai Chingkhu described as “unfortunate” the stand taken by the Assam government. They said this was “against the spirit of good neighbourly relations” even if it was a political decision taken in the supposed interest of Assam.
RPP however, questioned the state government as to what was its border policy and whether it was ready to tackle the issue?
While admitting that the border dispute with Assam was not a recent issue, RPP, said that though the matter was still with the Supreme Court, there had been numerous cases of border tensions, road and economic blockades against Nagaland by elements from the neighbouring state.
In this regard, RPP demanded that the state chief minister Neiphiu Rio publicly counter the Assam chief minister’s statement given on the floor of the Assembly on July 13. RPP said “It is important that as a leader the CM assure the people of Nagaland that the land, lives and property of people living in border areas would be protected at all costs.”
RPP maintained that Mizoram government had also vowed to protect its boundary at all costs from “undue aggression” by Assam.
RPP stated that resolving the Nagaland-Assam border issue was one of its core manifestos and expressed its solidarity with the Naga people living in border areas.

Source: http://www.nagalandpost.com/border-issue-to-be-resolved-peacefully-dg/236446.html