Khuzama established on donated land: Councils
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, February 22 2023:
In a rejoinder to the Khuzama village council's statement published in some local dailies on January 7, Pudunamei village council and Punanamei village council contended that the land for establishment of Khuza ma village was donated by Punanamei and Pudunamei villages.
According to a joint state ment of the village councils of Punanamei and Puduna mei, the press statement of Khuzama village council had some irrelevant references to confuse and divert public attention from the pertinent fact on hand.
It said that Punanamei and Pudunamei villages donated land for establishment of Khuzama village at Zhikrii-achi and landowner Neni Kopfujii of Pudunamei took an oath on behalf of the combined landowners of Punanamei and Pudunamei villages before the Viswema village and the oath taken around 130 135 years ago as per Tenyimi custom declared the clear boundary landmarks of Mao and Viswema villages.
This indicated the recognition of the traditional rights of original ownership of the Pudunamei and Punanamei village.
The oath by Neni, son of Kopfojii was pronounced before Viswema village and not before Khuzama village as they were not a party to the dispute.
Khuzama being a village established on the land donated for settlement and which again was also populated by settlers from Punanamei and Pudunamei, had no locus standi and therefore not a party to the land dispute.
Khuzama village, by their own admission, was established only in the year 1861, before the advent of British administration, whereas the neighbouring villages had been settled since time immemorial.
That being the fact, if Khuzama denies that land was donated by Pudunamei and Punanamei, then on whose land did they settled, the joint statemened questioned.
Lamenting Khuzama's denial of the fact of donation of land by Pudunamei and Punanamei village and the disrespect of the mutual understanding and cordial relationship that had been built up and established over generations between Khuzama and Pudunamei and Punanamei villages, the joint statement maintained that the swearing of oath by Neni, son of Kopfujii clearly defined the boundary of the Mao people with Viswema village.