Organisations from state and Manipur sign undertaking on Dzükou dispute

Southern Angami Public Organisation, Mao Council and Maram Khullen take part Kohima Bureau Kohima, Dec. 20 (EMN): In what could be termed a positive development to the long-standing land dispute among the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO), Mao Council and Maram Khullen village over ‘Kezoltsa / Koziirii / Kazing Karyi’ in Dzukou, the authorities of the three disputing bodies have signed an undertaking. This was informed by Tenyimi Peoples’ Organization (TPO) President Timikha Koza during a press conference that was held on Dec. 20 at Hotel Japfü in Kohima. The TPO is a body of 10 tribes—Angami, Chakhesang, Zeliangrong, Rengma, Pochury, Mao, Poumai, Thangal, Maram and Inpui—who consider themselves part of common ancestry. The dispute over forest land at Dzükou is currently being taken up by the TPO’s judiciary board called ‘board of arbitrators’ (BoA) which has two members from each of the 10 tribes. A copy of the undertaking that was handed to the media reads: “Whereas, all the three parties, fully concurring that the land belong to the people and not to any state or government, agreed to resolve the dispute based on Naga customary laws and its usages (Tenyimi) and not to resort to any other court (s) and also do hereby commit to abide by the decision of the TPO Board of Arbitrators and cooperate with the TPO for strict implementation of the decision given by the arbitral tribunal. “Further, in view of the aforesaid undertaking, we also agreed not to: destroy the Forest- flora and fauna; collect forest produce; permit hunting; allow any road connectivity to the above mentioned forest, and to this effect, the existing road(s) shall also be cut off. “This pledge we commit that in the event of any violation or failure to abide by the abovementioned points, the BoA/TPO may invite penalty of minimum Rs.20 lacs fine or even up to the extent of ‘excommunication’ depending on the degree of default.” The undertaking was signed by SAPO President Dr. Niketou Kiso; Mao Council President M Dili and chief of Maram Khullen village K Namba with four authorized delegates from each body. The undertaking was witnessed by the TPO’s President Koza and BoA Convener Sovenyi Chakhesang. According to Koza, the land dispute dated back to the ‘80s due to ‘vested interest of some individuals who logged some centuries-old trees in the virgin forest which affected the ecosystem around it.’ The TPO, erstwhile Tenyimi Union, took up the issue and brought the conflicting parties to an understanding. However, he recalled, the issue resurfaced and due to some ‘gap in communication,’ some of the parties withdrew from the TPO court and could not go ahead with the case. When the matter flared up in 2015, the organization managed to bring back all the parties together and went on to constitute the BoA with representation from each member-tribe which began studying the case from Jan. 26 2016, it was learned. The BoA was stated to have exerted all-out effort to convince the conflicting groups to a solution laying emphasis on the need to preserve the evergreen forest that is under the disputed area. The point of persuasion was that even if the three groups owned the land it was the people who were the stakeholders: the forest ecosystem caters to the surrounding regions including Nagaland’s state capital Kohima and the areas of Mao, Senapati areas of Manipur. It has been reported that three roads were being constructed deep in the disputed forest when the issue of landownership flared. However, following the intervention of the TPO’s BoA, the Mao Council ‘cut off one road while the one in Nagaland’s side was blocked by a landslide. The rest of the roads leading to the foothill areas are expected to be ‘cut off’ shortly. However, Koza explained that it does not mean that entry into Dzükou was closed but that it was open only for trekkers and not for machines and vehicles which were likely to cause harm to the natural forest environment. He said that the signing of the agreement by all the parties had not been easy. The leader acknowledged intellectual from all the three communities who had supported the BoA in its mission. “The proceedings will continue until the issue is settled but we are all hoping that this (undertaking) will become a permanent injunction,” Koza stated. The TPO’s General Secretary Vipopal Kintso supplemented the president’s statement that the undertaking was just a ‘framework’ on which a final adjudication would take place. “We are depending on good faith from all sides,” he added. ‘Our forefathers had used forest produce judiciously but in the present context there is rampant destruction by certain people in our own communities to serve their own people in their own interest so unless these things are checked, proper measures are adopted, our ecosystem will be destroyed,’ asserted the BoA’s Convener Sovenyi Chakhesang. He said that the TPO was not just trying to settle a land dispute but also ‘looking toward posterity.’ The board’s members are ‘very hopeful’ with the signing of the undertaking, he added. The TPO has expressed hope that the message of conservation would be taken to all the Naga-inhabited areas through the undertaking and that such a step would be supported by all.