The majority of Nagaland’s public lands, which span numerous districts, have been completely or persistently encroached upon by non-state actors since the 1980s, preventing any progress in the region. Most government colonies have become private colonies and unfortunately the authorities have adopted a passive resistance. Several important enterprises, including those dealing with cattle breeding, poultry, goats, milk pasteurization units, etc., were developed on the lands that have “been privatized” in the last few decades. The Dimapur investments are owned by the state government in cadastral lands. Also the redevelopment and modernization plans for Dimapur railway station are in jeopardy due to unauthorized occupants who have been occupying the land since late sixties whether legally or through force. The Dimapur railway station was officially opened on October 16, 1903, according to the Northeastern Frontier Railways (NFR). Occupation or encroachment of nearly sixty percent of Railway land started in the late 60s Nagaland became the sixteenth state in India on December 3, 1963. Some individuals began occupying large tracts of land and were granted pattas or permissions by the state administration. Many have sought sanctuary through the plea that Article 371A protects their possession of public property, regardless of the means used to do so. The incorporation of this Act into the Indian Constitution in 1962 was to grant Nagaland special status as per the 16-Point Agreement which was the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Naga People’s Convention and Government of India. The state’s distinctive social, economic, and cultural practices were safeguarded under this Act. Thus while the Dimapur railway station was opened in 1903 the name of the station also attests to its past. Some people just can’t seem to grasp the big picture, and now even hydropower projects are also victims of this specious plea. It is important to ensure that villages are informed about the overall benefits from power projects since it involves land compensation, and rehabilitation efforts so long the dwelling place of villagers are not submerged. As a whole, the projects will improve their economic situation more than clinging to land would. Development is essential for everyone today; without it, Nagaland will continue to decline. It is the responsibility of the government, and particularly of the elected representatives, to ensure the safety of its citizens, their property, and their welfare. Protection also can mean informing the people in order to safeguard them against ignorance and misunderstanding. Protection also means educating people that Article 371A had two sides of it – rights and responsibilities. It is the people that choose the government, and it is the constitution that grants it legal authority. When it comes to development, the government shouldn’t avoid its duty to inform the willfully ignorant that they have a mandate from the people to do what’s right for them. In order to prevent some vested interests in suppressing economic development and from holding the state’s economic development to ransom, the state government should do what’s legally required, especially if some villages are opposed to development. After all, traditional rights include the freedom to use land for development, which benefits everyone, especially the next generation.
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