EMN
Dimapur, July 1
On the ongoing Dzukou issue, NPCC president K. Therie today said that Manipur and Nagaland governments had decided to honour both political and traditional boundaries during the chief ministerships of Rishang Keishing and Dr. S.C. Jamir, and suggested that both could be consulted with documents that are still available.
Therie in a statement said, “Political boundaries are for administrative purposes and not for usage in the context of Nagaland and Manipur. Therefore, it will be in the interest of all to uphold the decision taken during Rishang Keishng’s and Dr. S.C. Jamir’s tenures as chief ministers.”
“What has been agreed by our fore leaders are certainly with experimented wisdom. Unrecorded history of our ancestors tell us that during British rule, Captain Booth came from Manipur side and Naga Hills administrator came from Half-Long and met at Küpamejü mount (located near Pfütsero, Küpamejü may be the third highest mountain after Saramati and Japfü). Standing on the Mountain, they divided the boundaries between Manipur and Nagaland pointing at the watersheds (ridges) and streams.”
He therefore said, political boundaries are without inherent history and are not related to the land holding inhabitants. “I do not know how the present disputed area has been demarcated but I do not think the British would have done it differently.”
Stating that Nagas have inherent histories and boundaries on all land holdings, he said all land is inherited from ancestors with defined boundaries and that villagers continue to follow traditional boundaries.
He said, administrative boundaries or political boundaries are not good for the purpose of cultivation or use of forest materials. “Villagers, without knowing the administrative or political boundaries for centuries have continued to cultivate according to traditional land holdings at both sides across the administrative boundaries.”
The rights of traditional land holding cannot be changed, he said adding, the decision to honour both traditional and political boundaries has its own wisdom and serves the customary and traditional practices of Nagas as well as the administrative purpose.
