Assam–Nagaland border row: Fresh tension in Mariani after Naga officials’ survey

Jorhat, Sept 11: Fresh tensions have erupted along the Assam–Nagaland border in Jorhat's Mariani after officials from the Nagaland administration allegedly conducted a land survey inside Seuji village in town, recently.

According to villagers, about a week ago, a convoy of four vehicles, three belonging to Nagaland authorities and one to a Naga village chief, entered Assam’s Rajahu village area via Najuri Jaan. The team reportedly included Nagaland officials, police personnel, forest department staff, and village elders.

“One of our youths asked them why they had come here. They replied that since both villages share border tensions, they were here to check the boundary,” a local resident recounted.

The team allegedly surveyed the area, taking photographs of paddy fields, tea gardens, and houses before leaving.

Locals also claimed that when they questioned the officer-in-charge of the Mariani police about the incident, he told them the Naga officials had entered after “informing the police”.

Days later, another group of around eight Nagaland police personnel again entered Seuji, sparking panic among villagers, the locals informed.

Residents alleged that despite repeated intrusions, neither the Jorhat district administration nor the Mariani police have taken the matter seriously.

“We are living in fear because of such incursions. The villagers need protection, and we want a permanent solution to this border issue,” said a local resident.

The villagers have now appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene immediately and ensure security for border residents.

“We were born here, and we will die here. With this resolve, we are ready to resist any encroachment by Nagaland,” a villager said, adding that the community, already economically and educationally backward, cannot afford to be neglected any longer.

Border tensions are not new for residents of Jorhat, who have long lived under the shadow of encroachment. In June, reports surfaced of armed groups from Nagaland forcibly occupying Assam land, clearing protected forests, and setting up settlements and rubber plantations, sparking fresh fear among locals.

Villagers in Nagajangka allege that agricultural land once tilled by Assam residents has been seized to establish a rubber garden, reportedly by members of the Naga community.

Despite repeated inter-state talks and court-monitored boundary agreements, ground-level enforcement remains weak, leaving border populations vulnerable to recurring encroachment and flare-ups.