No oil exploration in Nagaland: NSCN

The National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang, a guerilla outfit headed by its self-styled chairman S S Khaplang, has dictated the Indian and foreign oil companies engaged in oil extraction and fresh exploration work on the soil of Nagaland, "to stop all activities forthwith or face the consequences."

In a despatch by the outfit's so-called underground ministry of information and public relations, stated that "all mineral reserves in Naga homeland belong to the Naga people."

Identifying the Canada-based international oil and gas company Canoro, besides other companies who have expressed desire to explore and extract crude oil from Champang oil field in Lotha Naga community inhabited Wokha district, the communiqué categorically warned all the prospective explorers "to halt all preparations with immediate effect as it does not recognise any memorandum of understanding signed between parties for exploration at the oil field."

It further said that it would consider extraction of crude oil, "only if they agree to first install and run an oil refinery in Nagaland, at least a thousand jobs to Naga youth can be assured."

"Any extraction of natural resources by any company in Naga soil will be allowed if it benefits the people and future of Naga generations. No politician or group of the day has any right to grant permission to exploration companies to extract wealth of the Nagas. Wealth worth 100 years will not be allowed to run dry in a 10-year-period," the despatch added.

In fact, Oil and Natural gas Corporation Ltd had started exploration work in Nagaland way back in 1981 and subsequently discovered huge reserve of natural gas and also oil in Champang block in Wokha region, which borders Assam. However, the Naga insurgents, both NSCN-Isak Muivah and NSCN-K factions, strongly opposed any further explorations and obstructed ONGC employees from operating in the area. This had led to the closure of all exploration work in 1994.

Since the ceasefire accord was signed with both factions of the NSCN outfits and the Central government has subsequently begun peace talks, the ruling government of Nagaland headed by Neiphiu Rio took fresh initiative to explore and extract Nagaland's oil and other mineral reserves.

Despite being geographically located in one of the most prospective areas in Assam-Arrakan sedimentary basin, there has been very limited exploration or development activity in Nagaland, mainly because of the long period of insurgency.

In fact, the ONGC had engaged Canoro for fast-paced exploration work in Nagaland as the state's geology is very similar to the thrusting and folding found in the foothills of the rocky mountains of Alberta, an area familiar to Canoro.

For Nagaland, development of all the oil blocks and extraction of oil from Champang represents the possibility of significant capital expenditures and rapid economic development along with the associated benefits to its citizens. But the guerilla outfits are opposed to any such growth as this will adversely effect their underground movement and at the same time upset their massive extortion network.

However, the Nagaland chief minister is believed to be undeterred by the warnings and determined to continue exploration and exploitation of the state's mineral deposits.