Peren, June 15 (MExN): The Peren District Civil Society Organisations (CSO) and Landowners in a joint representation to the Chief Minister of Nagaland on June 14 has stated that they would “not compromise for anything other than the agreed traditional boundary between Zeliang and Chakhro Angami tribes.”
Accordingly, the Peren CSOs stated the representation to the Chief Minister was the “declaration of final stand of Peren District” on the issue.
The representation came against the backdrop of Western Sumi Hoho’s (WSH) memorandum to the State Government on June 7 calling for revocation of the Nagaland Government’s June 3 notification on Inter-District Boundary between Peren and Chümoukedima (erstwhile Dimapur) district.
The CSOs further pointed out that while the State Government formed the Cabinet Sub-Committee on August 7, 2019 for the specific purpose of resolving the long standing boundary dispute, it seemed to be unwilling to implement the Sub-Committee’s recommendation. The CSOs maintained that they reluctantly agreed “to accept as rationalised by the Govt. as compromise formula solely for Administrative Convenience.”
“This unwillingness is evident from the notification June 3, 2022 and subsequent concession to the diktat and political coercion of a particular intruding tribe,” it alleged, and asserted that would not “compromise for anything other than the agreed traditional boundary between Zeliang and Chakhro Angami tribes.”
“The CSOs of Peren District fully support the creation of Chümoukedima District from Dimapur but dictating the Government by a particular tribe to set inter-district boundary only for their community’s convenience as bargaining ploy to join the newly created Chümoukedima District is nothing but political blackmailing,” the representation further stated.
“Any decision/notification from the State Government resulting out of such blackmail will not be accepted if it involves the ancestral land of Zeliang in Peren District,” the CSOs asserted.
The CSOs further stated that citizens of Peren District had full faith on the State Government to “propagate the spirit of peaceful co-existence among communities along this belt disputed by the presence of illegal intruders establishing unauthorized villages.”
However, it alleged that State Government’s decision was based only to “please a particular Community” and demanded that it evicts “all illegal unrecognized villages from the traditional land of Lamhai and Jalukie before any inter-district boundary demarcation is undertaken.”
“The names of these illegally established villages should no longer be reflected in any future notification and documentation (Census) by the State Government,” it added.
Giving a background on the boundary dispute, the CSOs’ representation maintained that there was never any dispute on boundary between “traditional land owner tribes of Zeliang and Chakhro Angami till today.”
But they alleged that the “coming of non-traditional Naga tribe from far away Zunheboto and the accord of customary shelter in our traditional land in good faith” in the early part of 20th Century has created the present disputes.
Accordingly, the contention of WSH as the ancestral owner of the land distinctly belies all history of the Naga Tribes, the CSOs said.
The CSOs also maintained that believing in the reality of brotherhood and peaceful co-existence, the Zeliang tribe reached out to Western Sumi Villages in September 2020 to “live and prosper together by acknowledging each other in the spirit of brotherhood,” but turned down by those villages during a joint meeting held at Thahekhu Village on February 10, 2021.
The efforts of subsequent State Governments in setting up Ezung Committee in 2003 and recently the Cabinet Sub-Committee lacked sincerity and political will as “political manoeuvring overrode facts and realities,” it added.
The CSOs also asked the State Government to consider “facts and realities” depicted the “final stand” if it is for solving the problem and added that the latter would be sole responsible “for development of any situation in future as our ancestral right cannot be bartered for any political interest of any Government.”
The representation was appended by functionaries of Nagaland Zeliang People’s Organisation; Zeliangrong Baudi (N); Kuki Inpi Nagaland; Zeme Council Nagaland; Liangmai Council Nagaland; Peren District Village Council Chairman Union; Peren District GB Association; Lamhai Village Council; Jalukie Pumling Nko and Kuki GBs Union.
