Gogoi and Rio

Guwahati, Feb. 21: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio today advocated an “out-of-court” settlement for the border dispute with neighbouring Assam, saying that dialogue was the best way to resolve thorny issues in an amicable manner.

Rio was responding to his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi’s recent remark that the border dispute was pending in the Supreme Court and would be settled there.

Assam government had filed a suit in the apex court in 1988, accusing Nagaland of encroaching upon its land, and had followed it up with an interlocutory application in the court a few years later.

In the application, the Assam government further accused its neighbour of encroaching upon as much as 54,150 hectares of the state’s forest area and 3,118 hectares of its revenue area even after it had filed the original suit on the issue of encroachment in 1988. The encroachments were in Sivasagar, Jorhat and Golaghat districts of eastern Assam.

Rio alleged that Naga villagers settled along the border, but outside the disputed areas and within Nagaland, were often harassed by the neutral forces deployed in the “disturbed area” belt.

“The Nagaland seed farm is not in the disputed area, but still Nagas living there are harassed,” Rio said. He reiterated that a large number of illegal migrants from Bangladesh have settled there.

The Nagaland chief minister also discussed the issue with the AGP leadership at a meeting over breakfast in a city hotel today.

Echoing Rio’s sentiments, AGP president Brindaban Goswami said after the meeting: “We are also for an amicable settlement of the dispute through dialogue to create a tension-free border”. Breathing fire at the Assam government, Rio had said in Shillong yesterday that he would take up the issue of “illegal migrants settling in disputed areas” with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He went to Delhi today.

In the Meghalaya capital to attend the North Eastern Council (NEC) meeting, Rio accused the Assam government of aiding illegal migrants from Bangladesh to settle in the disputed border areas. “Nagaland should not suffer while someone else is making merry”.

Without naming any particular agency, Rio claimed, “These illegal migrants are getting the support of one group”.

Pointing an accusing finger at Assam, Rio said, “I went to the spot for verification and found that illegal migrants are taking advantage with support of someone. Nagaland has nothing to do with it as it wants to push back the illegal migrants”.

Even though Rio and Gogoi shared some lighter moments during the one-day NEC conclave, the tension over the allegations and counter-allegations, which the two have hurled at each other, was palpable.

Manipur minister flayed: The Zeliangrong Youth Front has condemned family welfare minister Bijoy Koijam for allegedly misappropriating Rs 50 lakh meant for implementation of national population control programme in Ukhrul and Tamenglong districts, reports our Imphal correspondent.

The outfit demanded that the money should be returned and the programme should be implemented properly in Tamenglong district. Last year the Union family welfare ministry had provided Rs 1 crore for the national population control programme in the two hill districts.