Guwahati: The proposed eviction of 59 families from No. 2 Negheribil along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district has triggered fresh tension after a Nagaland-based organisation claimed the disputed land falls within Nagaland.
The Lotha Lower Range Public Organisation (LLRPO) claimed that the area forms part of Lugayum and Mikirang villages in Nagaland and urged the Nagaland government to intervene against what it described as a unilateral eviction drive by Assam.
The organisation also claimed to have documents showing that some of the current residents had purchased land in the area. It sought the Nagaland government’s intervention to stop the eviction process.
The claim has drawn opposition from residents and organisations in Assam, who rejected the assertion and accused the LLRPO of interfering in Assam’s affairs.
Raju Narah, village head of No. 2 Negheribil, said families had been living in the area since the 1960s.
“Since 1960, our forefathers have been living here. How can it be Nagaland’s land? I was born here and grew up here, so this is our land. Just because they claim it does not make it theirs,” Narah said.
The dispute stems from an eviction drive initiated by the Assam Forest Department against settlements it considers illegal.
In 2025, eviction notices were reportedly served on 205 families, following which 146 families were evicted. The remaining 59 families approached the court, temporarily halting further eviction proceedings.
Following court directions and subsequent legal procedures, the Golaghat district administration and Forest Department on August 16 announced steps to issue notices, conduct demarcation and proceed with further action concerning the remaining settlements.
The LLRPO’s claim has added a fresh dimension to the long-standing sensitivities along the Assam-Nagaland border. Reports by Nagaland-based media outlets on the organisation’s demand have also triggered opposition from residents of Merapani and Assam-based organisations.
A leader of the Takam Mising Porin Kébang (TMPK) rejected the claim, saying the residents had lived on the land for generations.
“They claimed it is their land. That is false because we were born here and grew up here. This is the land of Assam,” the TMPK leader said.
The Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) also opposed the claim.
AJYCP leader Nikunj Medhi questioned why the organisation had not raised the issue when the Assam government carried out the eviction in August 2025.
“Where were they when the Assam government carried out the eviction on August 8, 2025? They did not say anything then. They cannot suddenly come forward and claim the land as theirs,” Medhi said.
He also questioned whether land purchased by people from Nagaland in Guwahati could subsequently be claimed as part of Nagaland, and warned against what he described as baseless claims.