Dimapur, October 31 (MExN): The Jeme Council today issued a rejoinder to the ultimatum served by the Western Sumi Hoho over the festering Intangki land ownership issue. The Jeme Council took strong note that the Western Sumi Hoho has been issuing press statements with intention to create confusion in the minds of the people with ‘cooked-up story.’ While reminding that the WSH is not the judge except the state government. The council also made a passing observation that the WSH “has a great love and serious concern for the Kuki villages under Peren district.”
The rejoinder issued by the council through its president Raitu Jeme made clear that “one may say anything” but Beisumpuikam is a village duly recognized by the government of Nagaland with specified boundaries. These specifications are contained in the government notification Gen-11/01/90, dated 08/12/1991and the village has been functioning smoothly with all deserving development activities till date, the council stated. The Jeme Council reminded: “Should there be any legal implication against the village, the right authority to judge is state government and not WSH.”
The council outlined this: Intangki National Park was declared as national property by the Government of Nagaland and the “GPRN”: as well and notified of this in 1993 “as such any encroacher need to be evicted.” Jeme Council stated: “Accordingly we believed NSCN(IM) has carried out eviction on the so-called Inavi village, on the other hand the state government has directed Wildlife Division to carry out eviction on fresh encroacher barring Beisumpuikam as there was a cabinet decision taken on 18/04/1995 for exchange of land between Forest department and Beisumpuikam village.”
The council said it fails to understand why the WSH is attempting to defend so-called Inavi village “with their legal right or with local standing instead of trying to implicate Beisumpuikam village that has local standing as well as legal standing.” This is nothing but trying to bring lawlessness (to) the innocent villagers peacefully living in their own land”, the council remarked.
The Jeme Council also asserted that “we understand some vested interest group of people had been trying to communalize over this issue but we are not using any particular tribe or community. We will stand on our own right and continue to do that till the end of this world.” The council also assured the WSH that if the latter so desires, “we are ready to go to any court of law or before Naga customary court with all relevant documents and historical background.” The WSH is reminded that Lilen (Kuki) village falls within Peren village land. Other Kuki villages like Phajol and Pelhan falls within the jurisdiction of Beisumpuikam land. “So how Lilen village can claim over Beisumpuikam land and there no land dispute between Peren and Beisumpuikam and the fact is that Lilen village has been paying land tax (Rampwa) to Beisumpuikam which is manifested in letter and spirit” the council stated while advising WSH not to interfere in the matters of the Zeliangrong people and their land.
The council also reminded that the state government had clearly directed the chief wildlife warden of Dimapur to carry out eviction of encroachers. The IRB was also deployed for the action “but WLPO is sleeping over this government decision in order to pave way for encroachers to further establish more huts inside Intangki N/P. The state government should constitute a committee to look into such destructive attitude” the Jeme Council added.
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