Dimapur, September 30 (MExN): The Rongmei Council Nagaland (RCN) today clarified that the Rongmeis never grab or make any forceful occupation in someone’s land or cause trouble to others in matter of land and that the Zeliangrong from Manipur have never initiated land issue or created related problem in Zeliangs’ land and never will.
A press statement issued by the Rongmei Council Nagaland (RCN) President, James Akham, said this clarification comes in the wake of the recent press release issued by the Western Sumi Hoho with regard to the Intangki Reserved Forest imbroglio in order to avoid issuance of ‘any untoward volatile and distorted articles’ in the near future and also for the maintenance of peace and harmony between the Sumi and the Rongmei community in particular and the Nagas in general.
The RCN lamented that the WSH statement saying that the Rongmei of Zeliangrong migrated from other state and have created land dispute problem is provocative and has cause resentment and provoked the Rongmei community.
James Akham opined that the Rongmeis who have been settled in Dimapur and Kohima since the British time should not be termed with those who later migrated from Manipur at the call and general Appeal of Namgahieng, Chairman Zeliangrong Tribal Council during 1965. Formation of Zeliangrong council took place in 1947 initiated by the Zeme of Nagaland Namgaheing and L Lungalang, the release said.
He said that the Rongmeis, on brotherly term, cooperated and accepted the formation of Zeliangrong by merging of Kabui Samiti.
However, Akham said that after the attainment of Nagaland statehood in 1960s, the Zemes curved out Zeliang and registered in the state as Zeliang tribe.
“Nevertheless the Rongmei endures all forms of suffering and deprivation for no reason of our own but only of prejudices and misapprehensions of others brothers” opined the RCN President.
However, James Akham strongly asserted that the Zeliangrong from Manipur has never initiated, in any manner, land issue or created related problems in Zeliangs’ land and assured that the Zeliangrong from Manipur never will initiate such problem in Zeliangs’ land.
“It is never our people culture to illegally occupy someone’s land. Some few sections of adventurous Rongmeis from Manipur came and settled in Kabeikamning now called Jalukie area,” said Akham and added that in the course of time a good number of people have lost their lives “in defending the land of Zeliang unnoticed and unrewarded”.
The Rongmei Council confessed that there is no Rongmeis’ land in Peren District till date. It said that that the Rongmeis never grab or make any forceful occupation in someone’s land or cause trouble to others in matter of land.
“The land in dispute is the subject of Zeme of Zeliangs affairs. Never in time past and till date have the Rongmeis lead, instigate or cause dispute in Zeliangs’ land,” the release said and asserted that the Zeliangs will truly testify that the Rongmei have never grabbed or tried to grab a portion of land but only occupied the allotted areas till date for settlement and with due acknowledgement of ownership as per Zeliang custom.
The release also said that wherever Zeme or Liangmai brothers settled and rightfully occupied are under the concern of the Zeliangrong people as a whole.
In this connection, the release appealed to all concern, for the sake of promoting Naga unity and integrity, to refrain themselves from publishing ‘unfounded truth or presumptuous impression’ on each others tribe but honorably consult, share and do things only that will bring mutual understanding and solution among themselves.
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