The two opposition members, based on news reports, sought clarification from the government on the reported encroachment by Nagaland on the territory of Manipur at Lai village of Senapati district. There was even an incident of detaining 11 villagers for the felling of  trees within Manipur’s territory in 1992.

Similarly in the beginning of October this year, Tangkhul villagers of Jessami, another remote border village of the state which is about 198 km north of Imphal in Ukhrul district bordering Nagaland’s Melluri village in Phek district, accused Nagaland of setting up a Nagaland Armed Police (NAP) outpost and rest houses on the Manipur side. They conveyed this to visiting members of Information Centre for Hill Areas, Tangkhul Youth Council, Raphei Katamnao Long (Northern Students Organisation) and the media.

The Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh led Secular Progressive Front ministry convened a meeting and decided to institute a fact finding committee following the news report which came out in the local dailies.

Manipur’s Irrigation and Flood Control Minister, Nongthonbam Biren Singh, soon after appointing a new spokesman of the ruling front had even said, “We are considering the issue very seriously and the state government has set up a fact finding committee to look into it.” The fact finding team is comprised of the Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul district and other district officials.

However, the Nagaland authority in response to the complain clarified that “With clear understanding with BSF personnel, the NAP had occupied the BSF barracks just for the purpose of protecting and maintaining the barracks till the BSF return after their temporary deployment outside the state, and also to guard the bridge.” The BSF unit stationed at Akash Bridge on the Manipur side of the Tizu River was suddenly pulled out for deployment in Tripura during the last Lok Sabha elections.

Nagaland Chief Secretary Lalthara, in a letter (dated 8 October, 2009) to his Manipur counterpart DS Poonla, said, “This is a temporary arrangement and the barracks will be handed back to the BSF as soon as they come back to the location” adding that, “Since the accepted boundary is the Tizu river at this location, there is no question of the Nagaland government trying to encroach into the territory of Manipur.”

However, irrespective of the accepted inter - state boundary at this location, it may be noted that the traditional land ownership and landholding system amongst the Naga tribes does not necessarily coincide with the official inter-state boundary. “Hence, it is noted that some members of the Chakeshang and Pochury tribes are continuing the cultivation of their ancestral land holding across the river for the last many decades undisturbed,” the Nagaland Chief Secretary said.

The Director General of Police Nagaland, K. Kire also told the media in Nagaland of the presence of the NAP who are occupying the BSF outpost but said that it was a temporary arrangement with the BSF authority. But as per reports in a Nagaland based English daily, the Deputy Commissioner of Phek district, Mikha Lomi had said that as per the instructions of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, the NAP personnel have been deputed temporarily to protect the infrastructure of the BSF post after their withdrawal from the area. He said that the deployment of the NAP personnel there has nothing to do with the Nagaland government.

Reacting to such reports, Manipur Chief Minister O Ibobi has sought the Centre’s intervention to resolve the situation. He even spoke to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram besides writing an official letter to him. In his letter, Ibobi said, “I am constrained to place before you an issue related to the territorial integrity of Manipur that has caused shock and extreme alarm in the mind of the people of Manipur.”

The issue of territorial integrity of Manipur has become very sensitive after the unification of Naga inhabited areas under one administrative unit came out. The Manipur Chief Minister also questioned under what authority the BSF agreed to the barracks being occupied, even if temporarily, by the NAP. He urged the Home Minister “to sensitize the Nagaland government and the BSF to refrain from such actions.”

Meanwhile, civil society organizations including All Clubs, Organisations, Meira Paibi Lup (ACOM-Lup) and United Committee Manipur (UCM) have accused the Manipur government of remaining a mute spectator while encroachment and harassment are taking place in the border areas of Manipur like Jessami in Ukhrul district, Molcham in Chandel district, Jiribam in Imphal east district and Dzükou Valley in Senapati.

General Secretary of the ACOM-Lup, Indrajit Tourangbam said that encroachment at Manipur’s Ukhrul district and the opening of the police outpost there is like spearing the heart of the people of the state. If the matter is settled under the table between the Nagaland and Manipur governments, the ACOM-Lup will opt for agitation with the support of other likeminded civil organizations and people. The finance secretary of the body, Sanjit Sougaijam said that as per the census report of 1981, the area of the state is  22,327 square kilometer against 22,356 square kilometer before the 1981 census. Manipur had lost 29 square kilometers from its actual area.

Echoing a similar sentiment, the United Committee Manipur (UCM) has lambasted the state government for failing to protect the boundary of the state while also urging the government to act fast on the matter. Taking advantage of the situation, some people have drained the forest wealth of the state through the porous route. It said the state government has failed to form a boundary commission and erect boundary pillars in these areas.

At last a team from the 111 Battalion of the Border Security Force has reoccupied the Jessami post recently and the NAP personnel have vacated the controversial site. An Indian Reserve Battalion team led by one Assistant Commandant from the Manipur side was camping at Jessami town attaching the concerned police posts to oversee the situation till the filing of this report.