In the Northeast: Naga bodies resist Assam's Rengma forest eviction drive

Naga groups oppose Assam's eviction drive, citing boundary disputes and sovereignty concerns.

- NIBIR DEKA

Assam and Nagaland recently reached an understanding to coordinate all future activities in the Disputed Area Belt (DAB) jointly, following high-level talks between Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. A statement from the Nagaland Chief Secretary's office said eviction drives, plantation work, and developmental activities in the DAB would henceforth be carried out in coordination to avoid escalation, aiming to keep the zone peaceful after earlier unilateral moves by Assam triggered fresh frictions.

The DAB, spanning several sectors of the 512-km Assam-Nagaland boundary, has long been a flashpoint, with rival land claims often sparking clashes and instability. Both governments now project the new understanding as a reaffirmation of their commitment to peace, stability, and mutual trust in the border region.