NSF urges protection of Naga customary land rights, citing Maova violence and raising concerns over challenges to traditional authority.
DIMAPUR — Expressing concern over what it described as attempts by certain Kuki settler groups to challenge customary authority and long-established land arrangements, the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) on Friday asserted that the ancestral homeland of the Nagas is “neither a commodity for negotiation nor a territory open to unilateral alteration.”
In a statement, the NSF maintained that the Naga homeland, its customary institutions and traditional boundaries are sacred inheritances preserved through generations and remain inseparable from the identity, history and collective rights of the indigenous Naga people.
The federation stated that it was concerned over recent developments involving certain Kuki settler groups residing within the traditional Naga homeland, alleging repeated attempts by some individuals and groups to disregard customary understandings, challenge traditional authority and advance claims inconsistent with long-standing agreements governing settlement and land use.
According to the NSF, residence within indigenous Naga ancestral lands has historically been extended through the goodwill, hospitality and consent of traditional landowners. However, it alleged that such hospitality had, in some instances, been misconstrued as a transfer of ownership and interpreted as a basis to question the historical rights of indigenous custodians.
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The federation called on all residents, irrespective of origin, to respect customary laws, traditional institutions and historical agreements that have governed peaceful coexistence for generations. It alleged that recent incidents involving unauthorised occupation, unilateral actions and disregard for traditional authority had undermined the trust built over decades.
Appealing to the Naga people to remain united and vigilant, the NSF stated that safeguarding indigenous ancestral lands was essential to preserving Naga identity, history, culture and customary institutions.
The federation also urged Nagaland government and competent authorities to ensure that historical agreements, customary land tenure and indigenous rights are upheld and protected under the law.
Referring to recent violence over the Maova village land dispute, the NSF stated that the incident underscored the consequences of the breakdown of long-standing customary land arrangements. It noted that the violence resulted in injuries and destruction of property, and stressed that such incidents should never recur.
The federation cautioned that every resident of the Naga homeland bears the responsibility of respecting customary institutions and the law of the land. It warned that while the Naga people's patience, hospitality and commitment to peace should not be mistaken for weakness, any recurrence of actions undermining customary authority would not be tolerated.