Al Ngullie
Dimapur | August 30
The government of Nagaland is advised to start dialogue and initiate inter-community interactions with, for and between the Sangtam and Yimchunger communities to resolve a current dispute over a sub-division in Kiphire, Pungro town. Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) said tonight that civil society can contribute to peace-building and thaw the current tensions. But, NBCC Peace Affairs Director Reverend Kari Longchar said tonight, it is the onus of the state government to initiate the process of dialogue and interaction between the two peoples.
Inter-tribe tensions in Kiphire is reported yet to ebb ever since the two communities broached confrontation each claiming Pungro, a township, after the state announced a government event there, earlier in August. At the time of filing this news report Monday, the government had cancelled the road show for Kiphire. The decision concurred with the demands of law and order in the district after situation refused to settle, and with about a reported 250 families fleeing Kiphire.
All ‘government orders, judgments and directives’ are with the government but they should not be the means to solving the dispute, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council said. Rather, the Baptist apex urged, the government should take the route of dialogue and commence it at the earliest. “Basically, it (resolution of issue) is in the hands of the government; judgments, orders and directives are with the government. But they alone won’t do; it (government) must involve and start negotiations,’ Rev. Longchar told The Morung Express Monday late evening.
The NBCC, with civil society, assured to complement the process of resolution: ‘While the government is trying its best to tackle the situation, we have told all fellow pastors and churches to bring back the displaced people.’ The state is cautioned to tread the line ‘carefully’ and not go in headlong with ‘government orders, judgments and directives’ (pertinent to issues of ownership over the land in question). The church on its part, Rev. Longchar said, can only be in defusing the situation between the contending communities.
The church leader also surmised the number of displaced people who fled Kiphire to be anywhere from 200 to 250 families. There probably are only about 5-6 complete families of a particular community in Kiphire left, Rev. Longchar estimated. He has appealed for joint efforts of both Sangtam and Yimchunger peoples to ‘bring back’ the displaced citizens.
“Let both sides take no reckless steps which will render the sensitive crisis unmanageable,” the NBCC said. Associated with efforts to thaw the current situation, a team of NBCC leaders were in Kiphire and Pungro August 24-26. Rev. Longchar said the group visited conflict-affected areas where issues of “road shows, land dispute, separate district and displacement” emerged the major issues.
The team met district administrators, church leaders, Yimchungru Tribal Council, USLB and the public as also conducting prayers.
“Initiating peace move, USLB has appealed to all displaced Yimchungru people to return to Kiphire town which is a good gesture. Tension was diffused to some extent by the timely visit of eight legislatures from Eastern Nagaland Legislatures Union,” the NBCC said in a separate statement. “NBCC therefore request the Nagaland Govt. to heed to the psychology of the mass movement and respond with the best options within its capacity at the earliest,” the church advised.
“Once again we appeal in the name of our Lord Jesus to the leaders of Sangtams and Yimchungrus to resolve the issue with the peaceful method and honest dialogue which will produce best solution for immediate neighbors who will continue to live together now and even in the coming generations.”
The church also appealed for joint efforts of both Sangtam and Yimchunger peoples to ‘bring back’ the displaced citizens to the district. “With regard to the displaced people, we appeal to provide joint efforts by both communities to bring back those 200 displaced Yimchungru families to Kiphire and restore harmonious relationship and caring community free from fear and mistrust,” NBCC said.
With the reminder that a “hundred years problem cannot be settled in one week’s time” the church has appealed for patience. “Let both sides take no reckless steps which will render sensitive crisis unmanageable,” the NBCC church said.
