Thepfulhouvi Solo
IV. Sema Settlements in the Angami Areas
During the colonial days in the Naga Hills, some Sema areas of higher elevations, because of cold and steep terrain, produced mostly Job’s Tear, Corn and Millets, but only little Rice, the major cereal crop of the Naga. The Deputy Commissioner, JH Hutton, in one of his tours, was told that the cold and difficult Terrain do not allow to produce rice and hence the people subsist only on Corn and job’s tear and millets etc. The DC suggested they go to terrace cultivating areas and request the people to allow settlement in their lands.
Since that time, Semas in groups once in a while began to migrate to the Angami areas for settlement.
Incidentally, Hutton introduced Terraced Paddy cultivation to the Sema area in 1908 for the first time. He also encouraged the people to grow Potato.
A. Sema Settlement at Piphema
Piphema is an Angami Village, and when Nichasier was Gambura of the Village, prior to 1921, some Semas went and settled in Piphema (“Chotobosti”) Village.
Latter, on a day of ‘Tsiekra penyie’ (strict none working day of the Pagans Angami), the Semas busied themselves at building a house and violated the Work Taboo and therefore were asked by the Villagers to get out of the Village.
They went to the DC in their predicament.
The DC questioned them why they worked on the Gena day; the Semas replied they have become Christians and hence did not observe the pagan Taboo. The DC asked them: “did you settle in the village, to live the way the Angmis lived or to become Christian?” They said: “They agreed to follow the life of the Angamis.” The DC said: “You violated their Regulation, so follow what they said”
B. Sema Settlement of Pherima
Pherima is an Angami Village established by the Nagis of Jotsoma and the DC JH Hutton told the exiled Semas of Piphema that if they abide by the following: Have the hair-cut in the style of the Tenyimia; Wear the Tenyimia ‘Kilt’; Follow all the religious practices of the Tenyimia; Follow all the customary practices of the Tenyimia,
They may go to Vichasier, GB of Pherima Village and live there. This was during 1921.
The Semas: “Khuzuche, Hovishe, Khayikhe and Thaishe,” (names follow the spelling of the Original Records available with Zasilhuto, Retd Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, the only surviving today (2022) son of Late Nikhalhu Hd DB of Tsiepama.) all of them said they would follow all the conditions of: Traditional Hair-cut of the Angami; wear the Kilt of the Angami; follow all the religious rites of the Angami; follow all the practices of the Angami.
The Boundaries of the village was fixed in between Tsepama and Medziphema after having discussed the matter with the two Villages.
JH Hutton, the DC gave them permission verbally then and there that day in the presence of: Lenjang Hd DB; Nisor DB; Nikhalhou, later Hd DB; And the DC’s Official Order was distributed to all concerned villages by Nikhalhu, later become the Hd DB of Chakhro Area, a recipient of British Empire Medal for excellence in Service together with Lenjang Kuki; who was also a signatory of the Naga Memorandum of 1929 to the Majesty’s Government of India.
C. Settlement at Kiyevi:
In 1931, some of Khukiye Village, in Satakha Area became Christians and the non-Christians of Khukiye Village expelled them from the Village.
On 1st January 1941, the Christians came to Kohima on their way to the Deputy Commissioner Naga Hills to plead for a boundary demarcation of the Land between the Christians and the non-Christians of the Village.
The Christians of Kohima, Rüzükhrie, Niser and some 6 others hosted the Khukiye Christians and gave them whatever bare necessities of the Stay, ₹40 and 2 Hurricane Lanterns.
The DC told them to go to what was Kiyevi and to settle there; but they latter abandoned Kiyevi and went to Kiyeto and settled there.
D. Sema Settlement at Siduma
Siduma was an originally Angami Villege established by Sopunyü but due to Epidemics, the villagers abandoned it.
At that time about 1918, Nilhekhu and Nihokhu went and asked DC at Kohima to allow them to settle in the abandoned Village of Siduma but JH Hutton directed them to go to Tsepama and settle it with them.
Pfüsalie and Virhitsü were the Gamburas of Tsepama Village and on enquiry Nilhekhu & Nihokhu replied they would follow all the Traditional Customary Practices of Tsepama Village: when they fish or hunt the biggest ones and portions will be given to Tsepama Village.
The boundary of the Village was the boundary of the old Siduma Angami village.
E. Sema Settlement of Bagwema
Bagwema was also Angami Village but abandoned because of Epidemics; under the instructions of JH Hutton, the DC Naga Hills, Khehoi & Shiato came to Pfüsalie and Virhitsü GBs of Tsepama. On agreeing to follow all the usual standing Angami Customs and Tradition, Khehoi & Shiato were allowed to settle in Bagema.
The boundary of the Village was given the boundary of old Bagwema Village. Accordingly DC Hutton made the Order and copies were given to all concerned and also kept in the Office of the DC at Kohima.
F. Sema Settlement of Tsüüma
People of Mezoma while hunting use to see ‘Tsüü’ Eagle birds resting on a tall Tree in the jungle and afterwards they established a Village in the area and called it ‘Tsüü’ma after the name of the bird. But the Village had severe Epidemic, many died leaving only 3 or 4 people and so the villagers abandoned the Village and went to Socünoma. At that time Zhüikhu Sema, was working as the DB of the Deputy Commissioner Naga Hills and requested the DC to allow him to settle in abandoned village.
“JP Mills asked me to go and see the Area and to give a Report of my findings. I went to the area and found the Village abandoned, Züikhu also followed me. I gave my Report to the DC that the place is empty and the villagers have moved to other villages to live,” said Neikhalhu Hd DB to the DC.
Later, the DC gave permission to Zhüikhu to settle in the abandoned village under the usual Conditions. Zhüikhu DB told Neikhalhu Hd DB that ‘Tsüüma’ is a bad Word in Sema tongue and therefore requested Nikhalhu, then the most honoured Hd DB of Chakhroma Area, to call it in his own name ‘Zhüikhu’. Nikhalhou said that they being friends live in peace and goodwill and so it is alright as long as we live in peace, but that is between us only.
JH Hutton, the DC had great concern for the difficulties of the Semas in their old hilly Terrain of their old places, and at his suggestion the Semas first started settling in the Angami Area in the abandoned epidemic frequented hot foothills Villages of the Angamis in consent.
V. Tribalism in Nagaland
The Naga Tribes in the early days practiced ‘their historical traditions of head hunting’; that has now become history, but the Naga never practiced Tribalism. Prior to the attainment of the Nagaland State, there was no Tribalism in Naga Tribes. Neither did our parents nor the people in the Village or the people in work places or in the festivals, at anytime, anywhere talked anything about Tribalism in the Naga Society. Tribalism came to the Naga only after the State was formed in 1st December 1963.
The Writer enquired from his only surviving sister of 92 yrs old and a few other surviving descendants of first Naga Christian Converts whether they had heard talk of Tribalism in the family, from the Parents or people talking with them in the house about Tribalism in the Naga. She told she never heard of any talk of Tribalism in the house or in the public or in the Church when she was young!
The Naga older than second WWII, Nagaland State (1963) and still surviving (2023) -Lanutoy Retd First Chief Engineer, Chubatoshi Retd Chief Minister, Retd Governor (Odisha, Goa, Maharashtra & Gujarat), Temsükaba Retd Commissioner, Takuyaba Retd Minister, Dr LM Murry, Retd Principal Director Health Services, Kajenkaba the only surviving 1st Batch MLA Nagaland, all more than 93 yrs old, said they never heard in their childhood of people say tribalism was practiced in the Naga.
Today, the youths, some elites and some elected representatives blame the Naga with tribalism. The reason the young generation today say of tribalism in the Naga, is because they experienced it in their growing modern life today, in the actions of the politicians, in the actions of people of power and in the higher echelons of Naga society today.
What the young generation complains of in the Naga today may not be false, because Tribalism was born only after the formation of the State in 1963 in God’s Garden of Nagaland when the politicians, the powerful and man with riches more than their known sources of income came to occupy high positions and positions of Power.
Whatever one may have done wrongly in the past, no one can turn the History of a people back, and only way one can improve is to refrain from doing the wrongs in the future. Human beings improve and progress by not doing past wrongs.
If the Naga is to grow into an honourable trustworthy People, we must come to our senses like the Lost Son in the Gospel and start a new life.
The Naga society must, all of us, practice to aim to have consensus Vision to correct our defects; we all, from the top echelons of power down to the shop keeper, the salesman, the taxi driver, the police, the traffic police, pedestrians in the street, must decide to develop a vision of honest courage to openly and even brutally discuss and uproot the defects in us ourselves.
Frankly and honestly, most Nagas are nice and friendly, easy to laugh and uncomplicated; Thank God, many non-Naga say so. The Naga is a united people; political differences do not really make a disunited people if they are forthrightly courageous and friendly.
The unfortunate part is that Man has not yet developed mechanism in free Democracy to correct the wrongs of the powerful in the worldly kingdom.
Politics is at best the united Power of the many, for the good of all. However, Political power concentrated in one person corrupts man, the more politics the worst; and absolute Power corrupts man absolutely. Every Naga should abjure people who love power, politics or not!
The political parties tend to use political power for personal or sectarian or party dynasty creation, and misuse legal power illegally. This creates enmity, disunity and divisive animosity in the society.
The Naga unity can be made stronger, vigorous as in former days by traditional, customary sensible liberty, justice and equality at every level of Life; this is Principle of NAGA DEMOCRACY. The Naga Democracy does not differentiate by castes; it is justice, fair, equality and equity.
in the Westminster democracy; power is automatically appropriated, used and misused by the few elected, selected, in a manipulatable voting system that favours majority of the successful group and sideline the minority.
A seed of animosity in the Naga society has germinated from the State Government of Nagaland by permitting establishment of village without sufficiently vetted consideration of the Traditional Customary Jurisdiction of the Tribe.
Each Tribe of Nagaland has the final traditional, customary apex jurisdiction over the land in its territory; though practically, it is the clan, the Family and the individual if the land is purchased, that owns the land. The Government does not own land. But the Government, during the British Administration and after the formation of the State of Nagaland, often behaved as if it owns the Land if it were for the used or to be used for the Welfare and Development purposes of the District or the State.
Thus after the formation of the State, the uneducated villagers ignorantly and the uncomplaining educated obedience naively often accepted the behaviour of the powerful Government. Consequently, the Government appeared to have arrogated the Power of Permission or Rejection for the establishment of a Village superseding the Tribal Jurisdiction.
Such action has resulted in difficulties rising between the land-owning traditional Indigenous Community and the government permitted community of the Naga Tribes.
The Government needs to give importance and deeper understanding of the Traditional Customary Practices for the establishment of Villages in a particular Tribal Area, so that Naga Unity becomes conducive.
Brutally speaking, the present land disputes between the Zeliang Villages and Sümi Villages in the Peren and Dimapur Districts has been seeded by the Government of Nagaland under the affect of the hegemony of the barrel of the Gun in permitting villages when Government had no land at its disposal. A classic case is the hasty recognition of the Rongmei Tribe from Manipur as the Indigenous Tribe of Nagaland by the Government.
The hasty operation of Nagaland Special, Development Zone not vetted by the Tribe may invite Inter-tribe difficulties.
The Naga as a person is usually wary of injuring the feelings of others, but the time and situation have come today to speak out boldly, and even brutally honest in search for the hope of common good.
Firstly, the formation of the State of Nagaland, and the Revolutionary Army Government of Nagaland, activated the Spirit of political divisions in the Naga.
Secondly, not long after, the Army Revolutionary Government of Nagaland betraying their comrades over to the Indian Army; instantly broke the history of Naga political Unity.
Thirdly, the formation of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), in 1980 allegedly to nullify the Shillong Accord broke the Naga political unity.
The original monolithic NNC that Z Phizo led still exists in silence and in non-violent ceasefire with GoI under his daughter Adinno as the President, ‘un-surrendered, unchanged, refusing rehabilitation from GoI and in its uncompromising principles of Naga Polity outside the NNPG.
Most of the Naga National Cadres of Nagaland surrendered Tribe by Tribe to the Government of India except Two; the surrendered, the rehabilitated and the captured by Indian Armed forces, fructified the NNC into: NNC (Non-Accordist); NNC (Parent Body); NNC (headed by Shingya); NNC (headed by a Yimchungür Leader), and other unnumbered Political groups were formed.
In all, the old NNC Members themselves broke the NNC into its so-called Factions.
In Cease Fire and in Political Talk with the Government of India; the original NSCN of 1980 also broke into: NSCN (Muivah); and NSCN (Khaplang) and each broke up into; NSCN (Issac-Muivah); and NSCN (Revolution).
“What will unite the Naga?”
1. Sans ‘Integration and Naga Flag’: The NNPG ultimately may unite and become SPP (State Political Party) and participate in the Elections of the States. (It is impossible for the GoI to treat each of the NNPG with separate Accord provisions. There can be only one and the same Political Provisions for all).
2. The Naga must vow and reject violent politics, mutually respect and honour one another in everything they do.
Without that, there is no Naga Unity!
