Morung Express News
Kohima | December 21
The Tenyimi Public Organisation (TPO) on December 19 passed decisions to make Kezoltsa/Kozürü/Kazing forest and Dzükou/Dzüko Valley ‘common property’ among contending parties which include the Southern Angami Public Organisation (SAPO), Mao Council and Maram Khullen Village.
The decision was pronounced in Kohima on Monday and the matter which had been pending before the Court of the TPO’s Board of Arbitrators (BoA) for a considerable period of time, was disposed off.
Parts of a 19-page document purportedly issued by the BoA were circulated on various social media platforms on Wednesday.
The document included a decision on the Kezoltsa/Kozürü/ Kazing forest which stated that the forest shall remain a ‘common property’ of the SAPO, the Mao Council and the Maram Khullen Village. The boundary demarcated in TPO’s decision had Viswe Kharuh (Viswe Gate) to the North; Raku Kokobu, Tado Range in the South East; Chicken Crest (Hodzü Motu) in the South; and Elephant Pass in the South West.
It further directed that the forest be preserved and protected from exploitation or destruction and strictly prohibited collection of forest products, hunting and fishing. It directed the constitution of a forest committee to protect and preserve the forest, with members drawn from all the three parties in the present case.
Decision on Dzükou/Dzüko valley
A decision on the disputed Dzükou/Dzüko valley was also taken, making the disputed portion ‘common property’ of the SAPO and the Mao Council, but with certain conditions.
Among others, the BoA’s purported decision stated that “no restriction shall be imposed on any village(s) whoever share the ownership of the valley to enter into the valley from their respective village jurisdiction,” as practiced from before.
It also strictly banned exploitation of Dzükou/Dzüko valley in any form while stipulating that the owners shall make endeavours to preserve and protect the natural scenic beauty of the valley.
Notably, it stated that vehicular connectivity to the valley would not be permitted.
Meanwhile, when The Morung Express reached out to the parties for comments, the SAPO expressed discontentment over the decision while the Mao Council maintained that it had not received an official copy of the decision from the TPO.
Reactions to decision
SAPO President Kevipodi Sophie said that it has acknowledged an official copy of the decision and a general meeting is being convened on December 22 in Kohima to decide on how the SAPO would go forward. A core committee meeting in this regard was held today, he informed.
Sophie maintained that, on the initial reaction, the SAPO was not happy with the outcome of the decision as ‘it was not based on the statements given by SAPO’ and as such, the decision cannot be accepted.
“It is biased as making a common property cannot be accepted,” he commented. Sophie added that the decision that was given in the past by the TPO was also rejected and SAPO had walked out of the board for that matter.
Echoing earlier statements issued by the SAPO, he maintained that the Mao Council had violated the TPO undertaking on many occasions by bringing Manipur Government into the matter and said that it was ‘an insult to the TPO and all the parties involved.’
On the part of the Mao Council, the President Dr Saheni Loli informed that the Council has not officially received the copy of the decision but was only informed by the TPO over the phone.
As such, he said that making a comment was not possible from their end, at this juncture. The council also informed that it did not attend the meeting due to the restriction imposed on the Mao community by the SAPO.
“If the TPO come and hand it [decision] over, the matter can be discussed further,” the President said.
Dr Loli, meanwhile, added that the claim made by the SAPO for violating arbitrary undertaking by taking up developmental activities at Kezoltsa/Kozüru/Kazing were “false allegations.”
According to him, after the new council members were inducted, they had gone for physical verification and no activities were being undertaken. He also said that the Council had requested the Manipur government ‘not to disturb in the matter’ while the arbitration process was going on keeping in mind the joint memorandum of the parties.
Meanwhile, on the absence of the Council at the meeting SAPO President Sophie clarified that it was conveyed to TPO President that no restrictions would be imposed on the Mao Council to travel to Kohima.
At the time of filing this report, the Maram Khullen Public Organisation did not respond to calls seeking comments.
