Kohima: Residents of No. 2 Negheribil in Assam’s Golaghat district filed a police complaint Wednesday after a violent confrontation with a group from Nagaland. The trouble began Tuesday when Assam Forest Department personnel stopped vehicles carrying rubber saplings from entering an area recently cleared by an eviction drive. Tension remained high. A group of roughly 40 people, led by Longayim and Mikirang village chairman Hussain Lotha, arrived carrying sharp weapons. They allegedly intimidated locals and turned aggressive.
The complaint submitted at Merapani police station claims the intruders assaulted 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 report stated. While police and CRPF personnel intervened to break up a scuffle on Wednesday, officials had not registered an FIR by the time this report was filed.
This flare-up follows an August 17 letter from the Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation, which asserts that No. 2 Negheribil sits within Nagaland’s jurisdiction. The organization claims the recent eviction of 59 families violates indigenous land rights. A representative from the Takam Mising Porin Kebang warned that unless authorities reach a formal resolution, the group will launch an economic blockade against Nagaland villagers along the border.
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