IMPHAL, July 22: About 50 people from Khezhakheno Village in Phek district of Nagaland along with Nagaland Armed Police had reportedly entered Zekhao under Tungjoy Village in Senapati district and abducted four persons on July 21 at around 6.30 am.
The abducted persons were one driver and three farmers including a woman who was released later on the same day while those kidnapped persons were beaten black and blue. The mob also burnt down a Shaktiman truck bearing registration number MN-03T 0740 owned by PL Dani of Tungjoy Village besides damaging a cabbage farm.
According to a release of Tungjoy Village Authority Council, Senapati district, the land dispute of Tungjoy Village of Senapati district and Khezhakheno Village of Phek district had started sometime in the early 19th Century and it remains unsettled till date.
A series of meetings was held between the DCs of Senapati and Phek district and also between the chief secretaries of Manipur and Nagaland. The authorities of Manipur and Nagaland had directed both the villages to maintain status quo and not to take up any activity in the disputed area till the case is settled.
However, the government of Nagaland is taking keen interest in the welfare of its people by setting up Nagaland Armed Police outpost, rest camp, dams, tree plantation with fencing, construction of road and electrification in the disputed land which is unlawful.
The government of Nagaland also opened up one police station and an extra assistant commissioner office at Khezhakheno Village and one border magistrate at Zeketsa, Phek district of Nagaland as a measure of protecting their villagers in the event of any boundary dispute.
The border tension has always been in existence, but the government of Manipur has not taken up any preventive step in spite of repeated appeal made by Tungjoy Village Authority to the state government to provide security and protection to the villagers and maintain territorial integrity of the state by deploying security forces.
The Tungjoy Village Authority contended that the villagers have been struggling all alone in defending their rights for the past many years.