Assam-Nagaland border row: Dissoi Forest burnt down; locals accuse Naga neighbours
This incident took place days after the Tiru Hills were burnt down on March 20
Jorhat, March 28: Parts of the Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest were set on fire by alleged Naga miscreants on Thursday, according to local sources.
This incident comes just days after the Tiru Hills Reserve Forest was similarly burned on March 20.
The Dissoi Valley Reserve Forest is located in Udaipur, in Mariani Jorhat.
However, according to locals in Mariani, the fires were allegedly started by people from the neighbouring state of Nagaland as part of a land grabbing effort.
However, sources in the Forest Department suggest that the Nagas consider the area part of Nagaland and clear forests for jhum cultivation. Attempts by The Assam Tribune to contact the Jorhat Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Nandha Kumar were unsuccessful.
Forests destroyed by alleged Naga miscreants in Jorhat's Mariani (AT Photo)
Notably, some local residents living along the border have refrained from speaking to the press due to security concerns.
Earlier, in January, reports of alleged encroachment and intimidation by Naga miscreants from across the state border has surfaced.
The situation worsened when a group of Naga miscreants reportedly threatened a local resident, Santosh Karmakar, for informing journalists about their activities. Fearing for their safety, Karmakar and his family were forced to flee their home.
In February, reports emerged of gunfire by alleged Naga miscreants, triggering panic among residents along the Assam-Nagaland border in Mariani.
Locals claimed that the Naga miscreants fired bullets in an attempt to encroach upon their land, further escalating border disputes.
During the recently concluded Budget session of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Assam Border Protection and Development Minister Atul Bora informed the House that nearly 83,000 hectares of land across 17 districts of Assam have been encroached upon by four neighbouring states – Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, and Nagaland.
According to government data, Nagaland has encroached upon 59,490.21 hectares of land.
The Government, further, informed the House that the most affected districts by land encroachment include Golaghat, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Charaideo, Sonitpur, Biswanath, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Goalpara, Cachar, Kamrup, West Karbi Anglong, South Salmara Mankachar, Karimganj (now Sribhumi), and Hailakandi.