Khezhakeno Village Council condemns incident

Demands actions against those involved 

Dimapur, February 17 (MExN): The Khezhakeno Village Council (KVC) has condemned, in strongest term, the alleged “criminal act of kidnapping and physical assault” on one of its bonafide members and a  Dobashi (DB) attached to EAC Khezhakeno village on February 15. 

The incident reportedly occurred at Chida Resort area, Khezhakeno, when the DB was reportedly ‘kidnapped and assaulted’ by the Tungjoy villagers from neighbouring Manipur State.

The KVC, in a press release, alleged that the Tungjoy villagers were led by Chairman of Tungjoy Village Authority Council, Secretary of Tungjoy Village Authority Council, Youth President Tungjoy, GBs and other villagers.

The DB, attached to EAC Khezhakeno village, was on Nagaland State Government official duty when the unfortunate incident happened, stated the KVC release appended by its Chairman D Lhouchinyi, Head GB T Kamo Koza and President Khezhakeno Youth Organization, Senovielhou Koza.

‘The intruders, with heavily armed weapons and guns, under the full protection of armed Manipur Police intruded the Nagaland State boundary, which is also the traditional Khezhakeno village boundary,’ the KVC maintained.  

“We suspect that the intruders came with an intention to grab/encroach our demarcated land… (the) DB who was deputed by the administration there to pacify and control the unruly situation between the two states,” it added. 

Stating that the incident took place in broad daylight by overpowering the few stationed Nagaland Police and IRB force at the border site, the KVC further alleged that the victim was taken away to Manipur sector and assaulted. 

 He was later released only after making repeated appeals and interventions made by the highest authorities of Nagaland Government, Phek district administrations and Police, Community and Frontal organizations etc, it informed. 

The KVC further said that this is not the first instances of such “criminal activity” by Tungjoy villagers and most recently, Traditional Huts constructed during 2018 and 2019 of the Khezhakeno People’s Festival held under the Nagaland Tourism Department was were burnt down. 

Clear demarcations of borders, says KVC
Meanwhile, as far as the boundary demarcation is concerned, the Nagaland State boundary and the Khezhakeno traditional village boundary run along the same line, the Council said. 

We have sufficient documentary proofs and judgments justifying the ‘Watershed Principles’ of the State boundary demarcation between the two states as laid back since the British-India Administration of 1872 Survey of Captain Butler and Dr. Gordon, it claimed. 

“Accordingly, it recognizes that from Kapamedzü Peak to Telezu Peak: Water that falls into Barak river, the land belongs to Tunjoy, Manipur. Water that falls into Sidzü will belong to Khezhakeno, Nagaland,” KVC added. 

Various Political Boundary Settlement cases were subsequently resolved based on Watershed Principles,’ it added. 

For instance, a political case  between Khezhakeno village and Tungjoy village in 1933 under JH Hutton, the then Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills and  GP Steward, President Manipur State Darbar,  affirmed that the the Inter-District-State boundary coincides with the two villages boundary as notified in 1925, KCC highlighted. 

Similarly in 1950,  a case decided by the then Deputy Commissioner, Naga Hills and Deputy Commissioner, Manipur State, ordered Tungjoy villagers ordered not to violate watershed demarcation, it said. 

In 1982, the Chief Secretaries of Nagaland and Manipur re-affirmed that “As far as the state boundary is concerned, the 1872 survey made by Mr. Butler and Dr. Gordon is final and inalienable and state boundary can be altered by an act of Parliament only and therefore, there is no question of opening any discussion on the State boundary,” it added. 

 Against this backdrop, the KVC called upon the law enforcing agencies and government to “book all the criminals who are involved in the act and immediately initiate strict action as per the law of the land.”

It further condemned the Manipur State Government for allegedly “conniving and conspiring such criminal and illegal activities.”