Kohima, March 25 (MExN): The Tenyimi Peoples' Organisation (TPO) today said that the best way to maintain peace and social harmony is to respect the traditional ownership and adjudicate disputes by trying to bring about understanding without harping so much on the state boundaries, and march together as people and not as varied citizens of states.
Accordingly, it charged the Government of Manipur (GoM) of remaining “hell-bent on defying the good intentions of the people working towards amicable resolution of the dispute and restoration of healthy relationship amongst all concerned” despite various appeals and communications.
The GoM should understand that Naga people are arbitrarily divided into various states and administrative units; there are tribes of Manipur whose lands are under Nagaland state jurisdiction, and vice-versa, the TPO pointed out in a statement.
Giving a background, the TPO reminded that it has been more than 5 years since the "Arbitration Undertaking" was signed in 2017 by the three contending parties in the land dispute of Kezoltsa/Koziirii/Kazing/Dzükou area – the Southern Angami Public Organization (SAPO), Mao Council (MC) and Maram Khullen - “unambiguously agreed that the dispute shall be resolved by Naga Customary way and on traditional ownership.”
Since then, the TPO and its Boards of Arbitrators (BOA) constituted to adjudicate the dispute. had through various communications, made emphatically clear to the concerned governments that it has no intention to "meddle in the affairs of the states and its boundaries but only trying to resolve the misunderstanding and dispute within the Tenyimi family,” it said.
However, it alleged that GoM stationed its armed personnel and constructed permanent RCC barracks in the heart of the disputed land, apart for various development activities.
The TPO had written various representations and met Manipur Chief Minister appealing for cessation of activities till such time the issue is resolved. Likewise, the three contending parties had also made similar appeals,it said.
On November 20, 2021, the TPO and the contending parties in a joint representation to the Manipur CM also appealed for immediate withdrawal of police forces while explicitly stating that non-compliance may compel course of action, which the GoMs "shall be solely held responsible," it added.
Despite such initiatives, the TPO maintained that the GoM was hell-bent on defying the good intentions of the people working towards amicable resolution. “It is this total disregard and ill-motive of the Manipur government which had provoked the SAPO to show resentment and call for the recent Bandh,” asserted the TPO in the statement issued by its President Timikha Koza and Vice President Tsela T Pitor.
