Kohima, Feb. 22: The Nagaland Students? Federation (NSF) has alleged that Assam had been pushing in Bangladeshi and Adivasi migrants to grab ?land belonging to Nagas?.
Throwing their weight behind Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, the students? federation reacted angrily to his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi?s comments on the border dispute between the two states. The NSF also questioned Assam?s claim to royalty on oil deposits within Merapani.
?There should be no border dispute at all as the whole Marachui (Merapani) area belongs to the Nagas,? NSF president Achumbemo Kikon said. He said Gogoi should not ignite communal tension by making ?imaginary and unsubstantiated rhetoric?.
Rio had visited the Nagaland Seed Farm at Merapani last week. Some villagers there had complained of ?encroachment by Assam? into the farm. Rio had advised the people to settle in the farm areas to prevent ?encroachment?. The Assam forest department has allegedly piled up building material for construction of border observation posts inside the seed farm.
Nagaland claims that the 1,000-acre farm is not covered by the Assam-Nagaland Interim Agreement of 1972. Nagaland police officials allege that Assam had been allowing tribals from Bihar and Jharkhand to settle in the area.
Rio had said Delhi should stop oil exploration by the ONGC in the disputed areas or Assam should be asked to share the royalty with Nagaland. The ONGC has been extracting oil from wells near Borhulla under Changpang village, Kasumari oil field in Doyang Reserve forest and in some other areas under Rengma Reserve Forest.