Farmers protest eviction order at Merapani farm amid Assam–Nagaland border row

Golaghat, April 6: Tensions escalated along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat as over 1,000 farmers in Merapani Bholaguri seed farm staged a massive protest against the Nagaland government’s recent directive to cease seed farming activities and vacate the land.

The order, allegedly issued to pave the way for oil palm cultivation, has provoked outrage among local farmers who claim to have been cultivating this land for over five decades.

Located in the disputed Merapani border region, the 1,200-acre seed farm falls under Assam’s Golaghat district but has long been allegedly claimed by Nagaland. The matter has remained unresolved for decades and is currently under consideration by the Supreme Court of India.

In the midst of this legal ambiguity, the sudden directive by the Nagaland government has been seen as a move to assert territorial control and transition the region’s use from seed farming to oil palm plantations.

Addressing the aggrieved crowd, Bidyut Saikia, general secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), condemned the directive.

“This land has been nurtured by Assamese farmers for generations. Ordering them to stop seed farming and vacate is an act of aggression. Both the Nagaland and Assam governments have failed these people. Where are the ministers, MLAs, and district officials when our people are threatened? For years, the Supreme Court has asked Assam to produce documents validating its control over the seed farm. Yet, there has been no satisfactory response," he said.

Listing the farmers’ key demands, Saikia said they seek protection of their right to farm, an end to land encroachment by Nagaland, and a complete halt to any plans for oil palm cultivation. 'The government must choose between corporate interests and the survival of thousands of farming families,' he added."

Farmers also accused the Assam government of prolonged silence and negligence in asserting its territorial claim and protecting its people.

"We vote here, we pay taxes here, yet we live in fear,” said one protester, adding, “We have cultivated this land for generations. Suddenly, the Nagaland government says we must vacate. If any agreement was made with Nagaland, the Chief Minister must reveal it. Otherwise, this move is completely unacceptable.”

Farmers are also raising alarm over the environmental consequences of oil palm plantations. The crop has been widely criticised for causing deforestation and soil degradation in several countries. “In Goalpara and even Indonesia, oil palm has turned fertile land barren. Are we next?” a concerned protester asked.

The protestors have vowed to resist any attempt to displace them or convert their farmland into industrial plantations without due consultation or consent.

The seed farm region has long been a hotbed of tension, with a violent clash in 1985 leading to the current legal battle in the Supreme Court. Despite the case pending, no conclusive action has been taken to resolve the territorial issue, leaving residents in a constant state of insecurity.

With no administrative presence on the ground, including the absence of CRPF or local law enforcement, locals fear that further conflict could erupt. 

As the inter-state border dispute reignites, farmers are calling on both state governments and the Supreme Court to intervene urgently and provide clarity, justice, and security to the people who have lived and worked on this land for generations.