Eviction drive at Assam-Nagaland border reserve forest areas

GOLAGHAT, June 23? The four reserve forests within Golaghat district are Diphu reserve forest, South Numbor, Rengma and Doyang which are situated on the Nagaland border. In 1963, Nagaland become the 16th State of India. In 1972, the KV Sundaram Commission had submitted its recommendations regarding the identification of the border between Assam and Nagaland. But the Nagaland government ? refused to accept the recommendations of the Sundoram Commission. As a result, the boundaries of Assam-Nagaland remained unsettled till now.

Taking this advantage, the Nagaland encroached large areas of the four reserve forests. The Nagaland government now established schools, two subdivisions, constructed buildings and road. Electrification works were also done and had appointed magistrates for good administration. The government of Assam with the strength of Supreme Court verdict began to continue eviction operation in the reserve forest areas and cleared encroached lands by dismantling houses of the people of the border areas. According to the sources of the forest department, the total forest cover of the four reserve forests is 83,997.71 hectares. Out of this cover, 80,300 hectors of lands are being encroached by non-Nagas and suspected Bangladeshis.

Now the forest cover is only 3,679.71 hectares. The total forest cover of Diphu reserve forest (A-sector) 18,365.71 hectors. The encroached lands is 17,500 hectors. The Nagas occupied 16,500 hectares of land. The non-Naga encroached 500 hectares and remaining forest cover became 865.71 hectares only. According to the Census report of 2001, the population was 22,750. Out of this, the Naga population was 18,050, non-Naga is 4,700. The large number of this non-Naga population is suspected foreign nationals. From 1984, the Nagaland government has been holding election in this forest areas where 38 Naga village were established. Only 5 Assamese villages had been established there. In this reserve forest area, the Nagaland government had established ?Kohobotu? sub-division in 1991.

The Assam government had no administration till now. The Nagaland government has been administering this area. The land area of the South-Numbor (B-Sector) is 270,057.59 hectare. The encroached lands is 25,000. Out of this 15,000 hectres of lands were encroached by the non-Naga people.

The Nagas encroached 10,000 hectares and remaining reserve forest is only 2057.50 hectares. In this reserve forest, the Nagaland government established ?New Land? sub-division in 1987. According to the Census report, the population of this area is 74,343. The population of non-Nagas is 50,420 the Naga population is 23,923. The total number of villages is 117. Altogether 126 villages belonged to non-Nagas and 51 to Nagas. The forest cover of Rengma reserve forest (C-Sector) is 13,920.68 hectares. Encroached lands is 11,800. Population of non-Nagas is 9,800; Nagas 2000 hectares and the remaining lands is 2120.68 hectares. The non-Naga population is 34,687. The forest cover of the Doyang reserve forest (D-Sector) is 24,635.77 hectares.

Encroached lands are 23,000 hectares. Out of this, 22,000 hectares of lands are encroached by the non-Nagas people. About 1,000 hectares were encroached by the Naga people.

In 1973, eviction drive was started. In 1979, the Nagas attacked on non-Nagas people and many people were killed in the clash with the Nagas. Then the Central government declared the four reserve forest as the disputed lands and neutral force had been engaged. The present government has started eviction drive against the Naga, and non-Nagas in the reserve forest areas, but the people think that the government would face opposition to eviction drive against the Nagas. The conscious people demanded eviction of the entire encroached lands immediately.