Guwahati: Residents of No. 2 Negheribil along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district lodged a police complaint on Wednesday, alleging assault, intimidation and unlawful entry by a group from Nagaland following a fresh confrontation in the area.
The complaint was submitted at Merapani police station hours after a meeting was convened to defuse tensions over an incident reported in the area on Tuesday evening.
According to the residents, the trouble began when vehicles carrying rubber saplings attempted to enter an area in Negheribil that had recently witnessed an eviction drive. Assam Forest Department personnel stopped the vehicles for questioning, they said.
The residents alleged that the situation escalated when around 30-40 people, led by Hussain Lotha, chairman of Longayim and Mikirang villages, entered the area carrying sharp weapons and allegedly intimidated residents.
“The Naga group not only ignored our requests but also pushed and assaulted us, causing injuries. They further threatened us with dire consequences,” the complaint stated.
The residents sought legal action against those allegedly involved and expressed apprehension of further disturbances in the border village.
Merapani police station had not registered an FIR based on the complaint at the time of filing this report.
Earlier on Wednesday, residents of No. 2 Negheribil had gathered for discussions with Lotha in an attempt to defuse tensions. However, the meeting reportedly turned confrontational before the talks could begin.
Local residents alleged that two Naga individuals who were allegedly involved in Tuesday’s disturbance returned to the area, triggering heated exchanges in the presence of Assam Forest Department personnel.
The argument later escalated into a scuffle, prompting CRPF and Merapani Police personnel to intervene. Villagers claimed that the group from Nagaland left after security forces arrived.
Following the confrontation, a representative of the Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK) warned of an economic blockade against Nagaland villagers living along the Assam border.
“The miscreants must face legal action and we demand the two councils to sit for discussion with local residents of Mising village and TMPK and find a resolution through deliberation. If they fail to do so, we will be compelled to undertake economic blockade,” the representative said.
The latest incident comes days after the Nagaland-based Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO) claimed that No. 2 Negheribil falls within the jurisdiction of Longayim and Mikirang villages in Nagaland.
The organisation urged the Nagaland government to intervene, saying the issue had implications for Nagaland’s territorial interests, the rights of indigenous landowners and the unresolved Assam-Nagaland border dispute.
“This is not merely an issue concerning the eviction of 59 families. It has serious implications for Nagaland’s territorial interests, the rights of indigenous landowners and the unresolved Assam-Nagaland border question. Any failure to act at this stage could have consequences far beyond the immediate eviction exercise,” the LLRPO said in a formal letter issued on August 17.
The claim followed an eviction drive by the Assam Forest Department involving 59 families in the area, adding another point of contention to the long-standing Assam-Nagaland border dispute.