Ukhrul, April 22: The NSCN-Yung Aung has strongly condemned the illegal extraction of coal and crude oil in Naga areas of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, pledging to take “appropriate military action” to protect the interests of the Tangsa Naga people.
Denouncing the violent attempts by Coal India Limited (CIL) to forcibly evict Naga villagers and other tribal communities in Tinsukia’s Ledo area, the group highlighted that there has been widespread illegal coal extraction and coal dumping along the Assam-Arunachal border, particularly in Tinsukia district of Assam and Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, despite protests from the Tangsa Nagas.
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“For many decades, the coal and crude oil reserves in this area have been relentlessly exploited by Coal India and its subsidiaries, along with other companies such as ONGC and Geo Enpro Petroleum Limited. This exploitation is causing irreversible environmental damage to the sacred lands of indigenous Nagas and other tribal communities. Such rampant and unethical mining practices are closely linked to land grabs and the forced displacement of indigenous peoples, who rely on their land and forests for survival. This represents a blatant violation of fundamental human rights laws and values,” the NSCN stated.
The group further noted that the state governments of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, along with local authorities, have been employing various tactics to silence the voices of ethnic communities that have lived on their ancestral land for thousands of years to maintain their profits.
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“This is a direct policy aimed at threatening the identity, culture, and traditional way of life of indigenous people, effectively reducing them to refugee status in their homeland,” the statement asserted.
Emphasizing that the Tangsa people are Nagas by blood, the group declared that their security and well-being are non-negotiable.
“For too long, the voices of our people have been stifled through authoritarian tactics and systematic oppression. The NSCN/GPRN will no longer remain passive in the face of the injustices inflicted upon our people by the coal and oil mafias. We are committed to protecting the interests of our people and we will respond to their needs with appropriate military action,” the NSCN said, reaffirming its resolve to defend Naga ancestral land, natural resources, and national freedom.
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