“It is also learnt that the state government is in a hurry to sign the tripartite MOU conceding to the proposal of Assam regarding equal sharing of proceeds on oil and gas from A, B & C of the Disturbed Area Belt (DAB) and that the proceeds from D, E & F may be kept in an escrow account pending settlement between the two states”, said NSF.
TFM Report
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has expressed surprise over the Nagaland government’s reported move on singing a Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Government of India and Assam on commencing oil exploration and extraction in the disturbed area belt along inter-state border. The student body cautioned the state government and demanded thorough deliberation, consultations and suggestions prior to the signing the proposed tripartite agreement.
It may be recalled that Nagaland government had in 1973 issued a licence to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) of India to prospect petroleum and Natural gas. The ONGC ever since has been “indiscriminately exploiting and extracting crude oil from various places of the Naga homeland without proper records”, said NSF in a release issued by its president Kegwayhun Tep.
NSF argued that this act of the government directly undermined “the inalienable rights of the Naga people and the same was “resented and condemned” as it did not have the goodwill and mandate of the people.
The Naga students in its ‘Public Statement’ on May 2, 1994 had resolved and demanded:
1. All activities of ‘ONGC of India’ must immediately stop in all Naga areas
2. Licenses or permits made by the ‘State Govt. of Nagaland’ with the ‘ONGC of India’ must be immediately revoked: and,
3. The ‘so called oil royalty’ from the ONGC of India must not be accepted by the state government of Nagaland’ till modalities that are honourable, acceptable and beneficial to the Naga people are worked out.”
Standing by the resolution of the NSF, the federation expressed surprise and said that the state government is intending to start oil exploration and extraction in the disturbed area belt once the tripartite MoU with the Government of India and Assam is signed. The reason cited by the Nagaland government was that there had been substantial loss in revenue due to non-extraction of oil even as the neighbouring state, Assam, continues to exploit the resources in the Assam-Nagaland Border, said NSF.
“It is also learnt that the state government is in a hurry to sign the tripartite MOU conceding to the proposal of Assam regarding equal sharing of proceeds on oil and gas from A, B & C of the Disturbed Area Belt (DAB) and that the proceeds from D, E & F may be kept in an escrow account pending settlement between the two states”, said NSF.
The student body argued that the move escapes the rationale of the youth and student community as to why the state government should share royalty with any other states for any resources whose extraction exercise is carried out solely in the areas been administered by the state government of Nagaland.
“While admitting that the illegal extraction by the neighbouring state is leading to massive revenue loss and dwindling of the petroleum deposit, it cannot the excuse as to why the state government should resort to steps which will compromise with the inalienable right of the Naga people over our land and resources”, said NSF.
The federation has urged the government of Nagaland to take a step back and not take any hasty decision on the matter, as such a move threatens to jeopardize the future of the upcoming generation in particular and the Naga people in general. More so, it is also demanded of the state government to place the proposed tripartite agreement in public domain for thorough deliberation, consultations and suggestions prior to the state government acting upon it, said NSF.