"The State of Nagaland cannot whimsically be converted into make-believe “Naga Nation” without integration and sovereignty".
Are we into season denial yet again? The fresh allegation - they say - is based on a RTI response from Raj Bhawan, Kohima
The Senior Citizens Association of Nagaland (SCAN) today lambasted the inaction of the State Government for failing to protect the Intangki National Park from being fully occupied by cadres of NSCN (IM).
Intangki National Park consists of a vast forest area of 202 square kilometers with rich mineral resources of all kinds.
Addressing a press conference this evening at Ura Hotel here, SCAN spokesperson K K Sema, along with other officials, said that during the mid-2019, there were ‘serious rumours’ afloat that the managerial establishment of the Forest Department, Nagaland, in the Intangki National Park including its staff quarters had been taken over and was under complete control of NSCN (IM).
It was also made apparently clear that the Forest Department was helpless in not being able to stop the NSCN (IM) cadre from their activities within the Intangki National Park, he said.
Being disturbed by such floating information, the SCA felt the need to act responsibly for the sake of the future generation and find out the veracity in this matter and therefore, on the September 14, 2020 filed an RTI not directly to the Forest Department but to the Public Information Officer (PIO) to Interlocutor & Governor’s Secretariat, Raj Bhavan, Nagaland, with the hope that the Raj Bhavan would influence the concerned Department to provide truthful response to the questions raised in this RTI.
He said that the Raj Bhavan redirected this RTI to the Chief Secretary of Nagaland on September 15, 2020 who further forwarded the same to the PIO of Environment, Forest & Climate Change Department on September 18, 2020.
On receipt of the RTI of SCAN, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of the Forest Force further redirected the RTI to the Chief Wildlife Warden, Nagaland, Dimapur, on September 24, 2020, who on October 12, 2020 furnished a vague evasive reply to the RTI questionnaires.
Unfortunately, he said SCAN could not take the matter forward at an earlier date due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the ensuing period including slowdown of functional continuity caused due to change of guard within the Association.
The SCAN expressed thanks to the Office of the Chief Information Commissioner for acknowledging the public interest involved in this matter and taking the initiative by bringing the official representatives of the Forest Department and the representatives of SCAN together for a face-to-face hearing in his Court on September 7, 2022 to review this unresolved pending issue.
Sema said that SCAN had raised ten questions in the RTI and apart from other general issues there were four pointed questions in relation to the subject as follows:
He said on the RTI query as to why the Forest Department’s Staff on duty for the protection of Intangki Reserved Forest have been issued vacation notice from their quarters built specifically for the Department of Forest, the official response was “No such vacation order to the Intangki Reserved Forest Staff was received.”
However, in the course of being further questioned in the Court as to whether it was a fact that the staff quarters of the Forest Department were now under physical occupation by the NSCN (IM), the Forest Department confirmed it to be a fact.
It is now therefore an established and confirmed fact that NSCN (IM) has taken over the full control of the Forest Department’s Intangki establishment, said Sema.
He said that asked to provide photo copies of the official vacation notice served to the Forest Department by the State Government directing them to vacate the premises of the quarters allotted to the staff stationed at Intangki Reserved Forest, the official response was “No such official vacation notice served by the State Government.”
He quoted the CIC court proceeding saying the PIO of Director, Intangki National Park, Dimapur, Nagaland, T Aochuba had stated that “the above developments mentioned by the applicants (now complainants) happened without the knowledge of the Forest Department and the matter was intimated to the Government, however, after the Ceasefire between the NSCN (IM) and the Government of India, it became apparent that the Government had some plan which is unknown”.
He said that the PIO stated the Department was instructed about the plan of the Government to convert the forest colony (Intangki National Park) and hence, the Department could not do anything or have any say when the Government had directed the Department”.
Sema said that the Department/Respondents volunteered an explanation in the Court of Nagaland Information Commission that after the Cease-Fire with the GoI, the NSCN (IM) had begun their persistent harassment and threats towards all the Forest Department personnel posted within Intangki National Park resulting in all the staff vacating their quarters one after another in fear.
He said sought about the orders, directive, resolution of the State Government reallocating the staff quarters constructed for the employees of the Forest Department /Forest Guards to the new occupants (NSCN-IM), the Department said that “No such orders, directives or resolutions of the State Government are available in the office record”.
The Forest Department representatives however clarified before the Court that after the vacation of their quarters by the staff in fear, they categorically affirmed that “all the vacated quarters were later occupied by the NSCN (IM) cadre and continues to be occupied to date”, said Sema.
Asked if any environmental clearance has been given to the present aforesaid occupants of the Intangki Reserved Forest for clearing the jungle, deforestation by the Government, the official response was “No such environmental clearance was issued by the Government”, he said.
“On being questioned further the Forest Department/Respondents admitted that they have lost all control over the Intangki Reserved Forest as of now to such an extent that even their Departmental Officers have to seek prior permission from the NSCN (IM) to enter into the Intangki National Park”, he said.
Saying that the Forest Department/Respondents had said the State Government had been officially kept informed about the harassment being meted out to the Field Officers posted at Intangki National Park by the NSCN (IM) from inception, the SCAN lamented that “the State Government has deliberately been looking the other way without taking any positive steps to stop this contemptuous act of atrocity by the NSCN (IM)”.
It is because of acts such as this that the people now believe that the forests and sound environmental existence, ecosystem of Nagaland State, the Nation or of the World and the future of the people of Nagaland State are in great danger, he said.
Maintaining that this is not a time for complacency for the people of Nagaland State, SCAN leaders said “We need to clearly understand that the final solution must be fair and square for all Nagas no matter where they are”.
In the absence of sovereignty and integration let the Naga brothers in Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh get their share of privileges for their self-dependence through their Autonomous Regional Territorial Council, they said, adding that the Naga people of Nagaland State will be happy for them but in the same breath it needs be said loud and clear that the people of Nagaland State must also have the same uncontaminated privileges without the interference of other brothers from beyond the present boundary of the State of Nagaland.
The State of Nagaland cannot whimsically be converted into make-believe “Naga Nation” without integration and sovereignty, for all Nagas from everywhere to share equal rights with the Nagas of Nagaland while enjoying their exclusive privileges in their own State(s) at the same time in the absence of sovereignty and integration, said SCAN.
Further, without integration it is not the responsibility of the State of Nagaland to promote mere population integration without land and rehabilitate our national workers belonging to other States with our aforesaid Intangki National Park, they said.
Nagas have not suffered these many torturous decades for self-determination just so as to land up losing our own land instead of protecting it for the future generations to come, said Sema.
So as to create a Headquarter for Pan Naga Hoho within the Intangki National Park and allow the younger generation to be arbitrarily dominated by other Naga brothers from beyond the present State of Nagaland in the post solution era is unacceptable, he said.
The State Government under the Chief Ministership of Neiphiu Rio, TR Zeliang and Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu has a lot to answer to the people of Nagaland for collaborating and clandestinely allowing the NSCN (IM) to take over complete control of Intangki National Park even before the final solution is arrived at, he said.
“Naga Political Issue should not be used for their petty Political Party survival at the cost of our children’s future”, he said.
The SCAN charged the State Government under the present leadership of Rio, as Chief Minister for complicity and for compromising the interest of the people of Nagaland State by allowing the NSCN (IM) to take over the complete control of Intangki National Park.
SCAN also asked all Nagas of Nagaland if they are going to remain silent while their very own elected State Government is clandestinely selling the rights of younger generation and their future under their very nose?
SCAN advisor Kuolachalie Seyie said Intangki National Park is the heart and the lungs of the people of Nagaland and of the world. “It shall have to be protected, reserved and preserved at all cost to prevent climate change and ecological imbalances for the posterity for their survival”, he said.
SCAN said they believe this is not an issue for compromise; this is an issue that justifies appropriate uprising from all sections of the population from Nagaland.
Asked about their future course if there are no measures from either State Government to protect the Intangki National Park from NSCN(IM), Sema said SCAN will take the legal course to protect it.
Appealing to the Nagas of Nagaland to raise their voice, Sema asserted that as senior citizens of the State, they are willing to sit across with any tribal bodies and civil societies and explain to them about the factual position while also joining hands in protecting the Intangki National Park.
SCAN President, Dr. Khanlo Magh, General Secretary Dr. R Rose Chakhesang, Vice President Dr. P Khala, Joint Secretary C Pankathang Lotha and Treasurer SP Francis were also present at the press conference.
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