Morung Express News
Dimapur | September 28
The controversy surrounding land claims in and around the famed Intangki National Park refuses to die down with tribal units having a stake in the ongoing imbroglio taking up their respective stands. The State government—which has remained largely muted and incapacitated—and the NSCN (IM) faces the mounting task of resolving the claims and counter claims put before it by the respective tribal units. The tribal lot now appear to be clearly restless over the fluidity arising from the emotionally charged-up arguments over the question of land and the history behind ownership and inhabitation.
Significantly today, in total defiance of the various land diktats issued by the NSCN-IM as well as land claims made by certain sections, the Tenyimi people today made amply clear to the organization that no government, group or underground faction shall have any right over lands belonging to the Tenyimi people.
In reference to the so-called ‘azah’ of the NSCN-IM converting lands as “national property,” the TCU took to resolution the stand that the Tenyimi people will not accept or allow any government/groups/factions to declare or convert any land anywhere in Tenyimi areas as “national property” or any other purpose without the consent of the traditional land owners. This resolution will stand until such time an acceptable and honorable political solution is arrived at, it stated.
These strong decisions are part of the five resolutions arrived at, at an executive meeting of the TCU held in Kohima. Sources informed of this development today. The meeting was presided over by TCU president Z.M Sekhose.
The meeting made clear that the Tenyimi people will never part “with even an inch” of land. Rather, they will defend their traditional lands and their boundaries at any cost, the first resolution affirmed. Further, in connection with the Jalukie Zangdi arson, the Tenyimi meeting decided to give the NSCN-IM a 30-day deadline to “drop” its kilo kilonser and kilo secretary ‘from the national service for committing the serious crime including arson incident at Jalukie Zangdi village and assaulting 3 pregnant women.’ Failing to meet this demand, the TCU will decide a future course of action. The source quoted the resolution that the deadline will be effective from the day the ultimatum is submitted to the faction.
A resolution also demanded that the victims of Jalukie Zangdi village be compensated and that the 30 houses razed in the said village be reconstructed.
The last resolution reminded that Intangki belongs to the Zeliangrong people since time immemorial and they are the sole landowners. Thus, the claim of the Western Sumi that Intangki National Park is “no man’s land” is totally false and baseless, the meeting observed in its resolution. The Tenyimi community will not tolerate any such claim or utterance in future, it added. In the meeting was also recognized Inpui tribe as Tenyimi and was inducted as a separate tribal unit in the TCU.
