Maova Village Council chairman urges Nagaland residents not to communalise February 13 violence, says issue local, solvable administratively.
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DIMAPUR — Maova Village Council (MVC) chairman Sutminlal Vaiphei on Saturday appealed to the people of Nagaland not to communalise the February 13 violent confrontation, asserting that the incident was an isolated village-level issue specific to Maova.
Addressing a press conference at Maova village, Vaiphei flagged what he termed negative narratives circulating on social media and urged restraint to prevent further escalation. He stressed that the matter could be resolved through administrative intervention.
“This press conference is not to offer a counter-argument or rebuttal to anyone, but primarily to inform our Naga brothers and the people of Nagaland about the actual events,” he said.
The village council chairman also clarified that the land dispute had no connection with Manipur, countering claims circulating online.
Related: Nagaland: Land dispute sparks violent clash in Maova village
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“Maova does not know what happened in Manipur, and Manipur does not know what happened here. It is not related at all. I appeal to Naga brothers and sisters not to communalise this issue or mix it with the Manipur issue. If we allow the matter to be resolved within Maova village, it would be best,” he said.
Vaiphei further denied allegations that explosives or ammunition were used during the violence, stating that forensic teams or investigating agencies were free to verify the facts.
Rejecting claims of a pre-planned ambush, he maintained that villagers acted in self-defence. On the presence of women at the forefront during the confrontation, Vaiphei said that it was based on a cultural belief that men would refrain from attacking women and with the hope that their presence would prevent physical violence.
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“Maova had no intention to fight,” he said, adding that youths had been instructed to exercise restraint and allow village leaders to handle the situation.
Responding to the CPO’s claim that a letter dated December 2, 2025, seeking removal of “illegal construction” was neither acknowledged nor replied to, Vaiphei admitted receipt of the letter but said the village council had responded on December 22, 2025.
“We submitted a copy of our reply to the deputy commissioner’s office and have the receipt as proof,” he said.
He further stated that village representatives had visited the residence of Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO) president in Chümoukedima to deliver the response but, finding him absent, handed the letter to the chowkidar/caretaker.
When asked about a 1995 declaration involving the gaon bura, village leaders and members of the Kuki community in the Chakhro Angami area, Vaiphei said that he was not the appropriate authority to comment, adding that the declaration had no bearing on the Maova incident.
Vaiphei also said that it was difficult to determine responsibility for injuries amid the chaos, pointing out that many people were involved. He added that he himself sustained injuries and refrained from blaming any particular party, including in response claims that villagers attacked police personnel and an executive magistrate.
He informed that the village elders and public leaders would meet within the next couple of days to deliberate on steps to restore peace.
Calling the incident “unfortunate,” Vaiphei said that efforts would be made to resolve the matter through dialogue with CPO leaders in the presence of the district administration.