Unauthorised Aadhaar survey by Naga residents sparks tension in Merapani

Golaghat, Aug 22: Amid rising tension along the Assam–Nagaland border, villagers in Jaipuria under Merapani’s Doyang Gaon Panchayat of Golaghat district alleged that officials from Nagaland conducted a household survey on Friday, creating unease among local Assamese families.

Residents claimed that two individuals from Nagaland visited the village, which has around 83 Adivasi households, and began collecting Aadhaar card photographs from the families.

According to villagers, the surveyors claimed the exercise was being conducted on the instructions of the Nagaland government. However, after several households refused to hand over documents, the duo left.

“Two Naga individuals came inside and started asking for Aadhaar cards. When we questioned who gave the permission, they said they were sent by the central government. We later asked them to delete all the photographs of the Aadhaar card or else we would call the police. They deleted it and went away,” said a local resident.

Earlier in the day, Sarupathar MLA Biswajit Saikia, downplaying the Assam-Nagaland border tension, said that both the states are working in coordination to resolve border issues and evict illegal settlers from both sides.

“The news has surfaced that Nagaland’s Gaon Burha sent notice to Assam. But in reality, three villages from Nagaland and two from Assam together issued a notice asking illegal settlers in both states to leave. Whether issuing such a notice is legally valid is another matter, but it showed harmony along the border,” Saikia said.

He added that the matter was being portrayed negatively despite being a rare case of cooperation between border villages.

“I think it’s a rare case where the villages of both states worked together. So we shouldn’t spread this positive news in a negative way,” the MLA said.

Notably, on Thursday village council of three Nagaland villages issued eviction notices to ten households living in No. 1 and No. 2 Chetia Gaon under the Rengma Forest Reserve in Assam.

The notice, issued by the councils of Ronsuyan, Chandalashung New, and Jandalashung villages in Wokha district, directed the families to vacate the area within seven days.

The notice also claimed that the decision was taken during a joint meeting with the heads of the two Assamese villages.

However, local sources alleged that the signatures of both village headmen were obtained under “false pretences” by the Naga council during a closed-door meeting on August 18.