Recurring border dispute: Time to put a stop
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: April 20, 2012 -

A bridge connecting Jessami in Manipur to another village in Nagaland at the border - Pix :: TSE

Resurgence of border dispute between Jessami village on Manipur side and Meluri village on Nagaland side, following alleged assault and subsequent abduction of six Jessami villagers by Meluri villagers in the morning of April 18, has raised some serious questions, specially, in the light of contrasting media reports over the incident in Nagaland and Manipur.

Though the Governments of Manipur and Nagaland have delineated Challou and Tizu rivers, which are flowing between the two neighbouring border villages, as state boundaries, villagers of Jessami and Meluri have always been at loggerheads over inclusion or exclusion of land with both sides making claims and counter claims.

In the latest incident which sparked off the tension, media in Manipur reported that six Jessami villagers were beaten up black and blue before being taken inside Nagaland border by villagers of Meluri who came armed to the teeth with guns, knives and other weapons.

Media report here further stated that the six villagers were abducted while they were working in their field.

On the other hand, giving a contrasting picture, media in Nagaland claimed that the six persons were not beaten up or abducted but taken to Meluri for interrogation since they encroached upon the land of Meluri.

Quoting the confessional statement reportedly given before Meluri village council, media in Nagaland maintained that the six Jessami villagers admitted that Murosou, the controversial site from where they were picked up, originally belonged to Meluri village but they were directed by the elders of Jessami village to forcibly occupy the land for exploitation of its resources and making it unfit for cultivation.

From these two contrasting media reports, it appears that although the mounting tension which enveloped the air surrounding the people of the two neighbouring border villages may have been cooled down after the six 'abducted' Jessami villagers were released, a fresh war between the media of Nagaland and Manipur has just started.

Before the issue get muddier, the Governments of Nagaland and Manipur should get down to some serious business to ensure recurring border dispute between the people of Jessami and Meluri villages is resolved once and for all.

Prolonging the dispute and giving undue advantages to elements which are waiting for the opportune moment to inject venom and encourage enmity among the people of the two neighbouring States would be detrimental to the spirit of peace co-existence in the region.

What the two neighbouring State governments could do at least to defuse the recurring tension in the remote and underdeveloped border area is to make the existing police outposts fully functional and effectively.

Setting up police outpost or upgrading it into police station is not enough until and unless the personnel posted there are properly equipped to keep any unwanted happenings from getting out of control.

By the way, where were the police men posted by the Government of Manipur at the police station of Jessami, which had been inaugurated with great fanfare by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram during his last visit to the state, doing when the latest border dispute erupted?

It's time to act and put an end to the border dispute and the time is now.