Kohima, April 23 (MExN): The Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) on Saturday issued a statement reiterating that it would continue to render all out efforts and cooperation to the Tenyimi Public Organisation and Board of Arbitrators (BOA) in “affirmative anticipation of a timely verdict” on the Kezoltsa issue.
“It is also however, imperative on the part of the stake holders and signatories of the Arbitration Agreement to commit sincerely to the undertaking so, as to enable in delivering a befitting conclusion to the issue,” read the statement from the SAYO Media Cell.
The SAYO also sought to “put the record in perspective,” and said that the issue of land dispute at Kezoltsa between Southern Angamis with any neighboring village or tribe did not arise prior to the year 2000 “until the destruction of JAPO rest house at Kezoltsa on November 23, 2000 by Songsong village under Mao Council (Then referred to as, Memai Council of Mao).” The action resulted in “flaring up tension and dispute in the region,” subsequently resulting in the intervention of the Tenyimia Central Union. “The Tenyimia Central Union after having examined the incident on the February 14, 2001 directed the Songsong Village through Memai Council of Mao to re-construct the JAPO rest house within 20 days period, with effect from February 15, 2001,” it said.
The SAYO further mentioned that the Mao Council submitted a Memorandum to the Manipur Chief Minister in 2015, seeking immediate intervention on the Kezoltsa issue citing, “Massive encroachment by the Southern Angami People’s Organisation (SAPO) taking place deep into Manipur State’s Political Boundary in the Dzüko-Kozüri Area.” Consequently, the “Naga Hoho intervened to bring an amicable settlement between the two Naga brothers as per customary usages of our forefathers and on June 3, 2015 at Mozhuw Prayer Centre, Mao Gate in a meeting with the officials of Mao Council in the presence of United Naga Council (UNC) and Naga People’s Organisation (NPO), the Naga Hoho along with UNC and NPO made fervent appeal to Mao Council to withdraw its Memorandum,” it said.
However, the Mao Council failed to respond positively to the appeal and as such, the Naga Hoho unsuccessfully directed the Mao Council on two consecutive occasions in June 2015. This was followed by a consultative meeting in July 2015 at Kohima where it directed the Mao Council to withdraw its Memorandum within five days. “After the expiry of the five day period and the Mao Council having failed to withdraw the Memorandum, on July 6, 2015, the Naga Hoho in its executive meeting unanimously resolved to suspend Mao Council as, it was fully convinced that, the Memorandum submitted by the Mao Council to the Government of Manipur was detrimental to the wishes and aspiration of the Nagas and the very involvement of the communal Government for solving the issues among Nagas is uncalled for,” the SAYO stated.
Further, it underscored that the nature of the Kezoltsa issue was “explicitly on basis of ancestral land ownership,” and said that on December 16, 2017, the President of Southern Angami Public Organisation, the Chief of Maram Khullen Village and the President of Mao Council appended an Arbitration Undertaking in the presence of the President, TPO and Convenor, Board of Arbitrators (BOA) constituted by TPO while, fully concurring that, “the land belongs to the people and not to any State or Government and have agreed to resolve the dispute based on Naga Customary Laws and its usages (Tenyimi) and not to resort to approach any other Court(s).”
“The signatories had committed to co-operate, abide and strictly implement the decision given by Board of Arbitrators (BOA) and also agreed not to destroy the forest (flora and fauna), collect forest produce, permit hunting and allow any road connectivity to the forest. To this effect, the existing road(s) shall also be cut-off,” it highlighted.
However, it claimed that the Mao Council “in contravention to the principles of the Arbitration Undertaking had defied the agreement,” and taken up various activities in the region along with the Government of Manipur. These actions, it said, resulted in illegal activities by acts of aggression in the form of land encroachment, destruction of environment and exploitation of natural resources in large scale.
According to the SAYO, the Southern Angami and the Mao have shared common traditional land and its resources based on the Naga traditional values and customary practices. An instance can be of Okhro-Ikhro village, where the Manipur Government annually organizes its Cherry Blossom Festival without any objection from SAPO though, the particular location of the festival falls within the Nagaland State Political Boundary, it said.
The Southern Angami in honouring the aged old Naga traditions and customs of land ownership have not oppose to any development works, setting up of educational institutions and construction of settlements and buildings which were undertaken by the Mao, it maintained.
It further stated that since the inception of the dispute at Kezoltsa, the Southern Angami has been “at the receiving end as a consequence of the continued unpleasant incidents and malicious activities, which were engineered to create disunity, manipulation of facts, arbitrary imposition of State sponsored forces and repeated attempts to stage fake claims over its land.” However, the Southern Angami people in particular has unwaveringly stood to uphold the integrity and fraternity amongst all the Naga tribes and had firm conviction to maintain its age old relationship, it maintained.
