Post-eviction land grab fears mount as ‘Wokha’ markers, shelters appear in Uriamghat

Golaghat, Aug 14: Border tensions escalated on Thursday in Uriamghat’s Rengma Forest Reserve following reports of vandalism and encroachment in the villages of Pithaghat and Sonaribeel along the Assam-Nagaland border.

Locals reported that boundary markers had been damaged and temporary shelters erected in areas of the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) recently cleared during the first phase of the eviction drive. Markers bearing the inscription “Ruchan village jurisdiction Wokha (Lotha)” were also observed, indicating land-grab attempts.

Authorities, including the administrative officials, CRPF and the police, acted promptly to remove the signs and demolish the makeshift structures. Local groups have accused settlers from Nagaland of attempting to stake claim to the reclaimed land.

Another marker erected in one of the two villages on Thursday. (AT Photo)

A local leader of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) said, “The Chief Minister led the eviction drive, and we supported him. The first phase proceeded smoothly, but prior to the second phase, there have been repeated instances of Naga settlers erecting shelters. The government must promptly deploy Assam battalion forces in these sensitive areas.”

Sarupathar MLA Biswajit Phukan confirmed that the administration had intervened. “At the Sonaribeel border, the polythene houses and nameplates set up by miscreants have been jointly and immediately removed by the administrations of Assam and Nagaland,” he wrote on a micro-blogging website.

Tensions have persisted in the belt along the interstate border since August 2, when 8,900 bighas of encroached forest land was reclaimed in the first phase of the drive. Locals have expressed concerns over potential post-eviction land grabbing by the Nagas along the border.

On August 12, Thuribari’s DAB witnessed further unrest, including blank firing and the burning of a house. Similar claims have been reported from Merapani, where three Naga village councils have issued warnings asserting jurisdiction over parts of Assam’s Negheribil area.

The Assam government, however, has maintained that the Nagaland authorities have fully cooperated during the eviction drive. “Assam has no conflict with Nagaland. We will move forward through harmony and brotherhood, with both governments working in close coordination,” Phukan’s post further read.

The second phase of the eviction drive in the Rengma Forest area is scheduled to commence on August 18, covering Ranangor, Hatidubi, Haldhibari, Durgapur, and No. 1 Madhupur. Security forces, including the CRPF and Uriamghat police, remain deployed in the area.