AKM etched on the bark of a tree at Dessoi Valley reserve forest. Picture by Mousam Agarwalla

Jorhat, June 12: People from Nagaland have allegedly come out with a unique strategy to stake claim on Assam forest by inscribing the name of the neighbouring state on trees inside Dessoi Valley reserve forest, along the Assam-Nagaland border.

This came to light when a group of forest officials from Assam visited the reserve forest last month.

“The name NLM (for Nagalim) and AKM (for Aokum) basti, has been inscribed on trees inside the reserve forest. We will lodge a formal protest with the Mokokchung district administration in Nagaland about this,” a forest official said.

The development comes after the Assam forest department ordered an inquiry into allegations made by the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad that the neighbouring state was planning to set up a sub-division on encroached forestland in Assam.

The youth group alleged that apart from cultivation of tea on more than 100 bighas of the reserve forest, two villages have come up, a petrol pump and a school has been set up by the people of Nagaland and the neighbouring state is planning to create a subdivision on Assam soil.

Data available with the Assam forest department reveals that the three reserve forests — Dessoi Valley, Dessoi and Tiru Hills — in Jorhat have allegedly witnessed heavy encroachment in recent times and have become half or less than half of the area once covered. The original area of the Desoi reserve forest was 2,797.148 hectares and the encroached area is 1,532.34 hectares with one village a few years back. The original area of Dessoi Valley reserve forest was 16,381.446 hectares, encroached area is 13,322.14 hectares and 14 villages have been set up, the original area of Tiru Hills reserve forest was 5,858.552 hectares, encroached area is 4,829.15 hectares.

The forest official said encroachment by the people of Nagaland in all the three reserve forests along the Assam-Nagaland border started since 1956 and attempts have been made to evict these illegal settlers.

“But we fear that if we use force to evict these settlers, there could be violence, as we have reports that these encroachers are supported by the authorities of the neighbouring state,” the forest official said.

A. Kilem Longchar, former chairman of Akumen village council in Mokukchung district, bordering Jorhat, said the forest land along the border very much belongs to Nagaland and it was since ages that the people of Nagaland are inhabiting the area.