Rengma Nagas welcome eviction, urges Assam to safeguard indigenous land rights
They welcomed evictions in Uriamghat & called for permanent measures to prevent future encroachment
The eviction drive at Uriamghat
Dimapur, Aug 2: The All Rengma Welfare Organisation (ARWO), Assam-Nagaland, on Friday urged the Assam Government to initiate steps for recognition and restoration of the traditional rights of the Rengma Nagas over their ancestral lands.
Appreciating Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for the decisive action taken by the Assam Government to evict illegal settlers from the Rengma Reserve Forest under Uriamghat in Golaghat district, the ARWO called for permanent measures prevent future encroachment.
The ARWO lauded Sarma’s political will and administrative clarity in upholding the rights of the indigenous people while simultaneously addressing the illegal migration issue that has deeply impacted the socio-political fabric of Assam, Nagaland and other North Eastern States.
“This action marks a significant step toward restoring justice, law and order, and long-standing indigenous rights in the region,” ARWO president Akhu Kath and Tegibu Tep said in a release.
The ARWO said the Rengma Reserve Forest, which has seen widespread encroachment in recent decades, holds profound ancestral, historical, and cultural importance for the Rengma Naga tribe, one of the oldest indigenous communities of the region.
The land forms part of the traditional Rengma homeland, predating modern administrative boundaries and political developments, it said.
The ARWO also thanked various civil society organisations, youth organisations, Naga political groups, and Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio for taking proactive steps to protect the State’s border.