GUWAHATI: A tribal organisation in Nagaland has sought Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio’s help to rectify the “erroneous” boundary line between the state’s Mon district and Assam’s Charaideo district on Google Maps.
In a memorandum submitted to Rio on Tuesday, the Konyak Union, which is the apex organisation of Konyak Nagas, said it observed “discrepancies” in the Google Maps representation and the same required immediate rectification.
“The current mapping boundary inaccurately extends deep into Mon district, aligning significantly towards Assam. Specifically, the boundary line covers nearly 80-85 per cent of Tizit town, including government administrative, police and all other department building offices and public ground within Assam,” the Konyak Union said in the memorandum signed by its president Tingthok Konyak and general secretary Manpang K Wangyen.
According to the union, this incorrect mapping also affects the villages of Hota-Hoti and Tekun, which were established within Mon district in the 1960s.
Nagaland was created as a state in 1963 through a political agreement that bifurcated parts of Assam and incorporated territories from the erstwhile North East Frontier Agency, which was predominantly inhabited by Nagas.
“Historical records indicate a clear understanding of ancestral boundaries between the Ahoms of Assam and the Konyak Nagas of Mon district. Despite this, the official and bilateral recognition of these boundaries remain unresolved and are currently under the Supreme Court’s adjudication,” the memorandum said.
“The aforementioned areas viz, Tizit town and the villages of Hota-Hoti and Tekun, fall entirely under Mon district, Nagaland. Therefore, the current misrepresentation on Google Maps is not only misleading but may also lead to technical discrepancies in official documentation and potential confrontation between the parties,” the memorandum further stated.
The Konyak Union told Rio that addressing this issue promptly would help avoid further complications and ensure accurate representation of the boundary lines.
“Failing to address this matter promptly by the department/authority concerned and in the event of any eventualities arising out of this misinterpretation and incorrect information by the google mapping, the Konyak Union shall not be held responsible,” it warned.