DCs notice on legal sub-headmanship claim decried
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, January 09 2024: In a recent development, the age-old dispute over the legal sub-head-manship of Sihai Khunou village took a nasty turn after a fresh claim of legal headmanship was made by Joseph Shimray, a sub headman of the same village where the practice of dual sub-headmanship existed for years.

Wungmaso Horam, one of the current sub headmen, has strongly refuted this claim and expressed his unhappiness over the alleged biased attitude of the district administration of Ukhrul on the matter.

Briefing media persons at Winotang here on Tuesday, Horam clarified that Sihai Khunou village, which falls under Sihai Khullen village, has two sub-headmen under the overall legal headman KAS Luingam.

He said that the present dispute began when Joseph Shimray, the other sub-headman, started pursuing legal headmanship covertly by going against the principles of dual sub -headmanship that has existed for years in the village.

Terming the act of Joseph Shimray as illegal and unconstitutional, Horam contended that Shimray's actions go against the traditional and age-old practices of the village as he has no legal and public mandate to seek legal headmanship.

He further added that the residents of Sihai Khunou have always followed the principles of dual sub-headmanship and it has been successfully implemented for years.

"So, any deviation from this tradition would be detrimental to the village's unity and peaceful co-existence," he cautioned.

Horam asserted that there are ample proofs of the age-old existence of dual sub-chieftainship in the village such as penalty of Rs 50 imposed on Joseph Shimray s grandfather for not honouring customary meat share between the two subheadmen and Joseph Shimray had signed as a sub-headman himself.

Adding fo the villagers' concerns is the recent notification issued by the Ukhrul district administration.

He pointed out that the notification, which was signed by deputy commissioner Zuringla Kengoo and published in a local newspaper on December 22, 2023, invited objections regarding the legal headmanship claim of Joseph Shimray, giving a mere 15-day deadline.

Horam expressed his displeasure over the notice, stating that it was seemingly served at a time when the villagers were busy preparing for Christmas celebrations.

He believed that this short deadline was intentionally set to make it difficult for the villagers to submit their objections within the given time.

Horam further claimed that the notification was not even served to him, being one of the sub-headmen, or the village authority.

"It was not served to us and we only came to know about it through the local newspaper, which could be a tactic intended to defeat us," he lamented.

Horam also disclosed that prior to the notification, an enquiry team from SDO Ukhrul visited his village in October last year to conduct an enquiry on the matter.

"But the partiality of the team was evident as they failed to meet or invite the village authority or elders of the village.

They conducted the so-called enquiry only on one party overlooking the village court," Horam contended, adding that it was a one-sided enquiry.

He said that the team should have consulted and involved the village authority and local elders in such a crucial matter that concerns the village s unity and harmony.

However, the team met only the village chairman Ngathingpam P Shimray who gave a biased statement in favour of Joseph Shimray.

Horam contended that Ngathingpam P Shimray, who is closely related to Joseph Shimray, gave the false statement that went against the terms and conditions of an agreement made between late S Tangaikhang and late H Thinai.

According to this agreement, which has been in place since 1952, the two men were to take turns as sub-khullakpa (sub chieftainship) for a period of three years, he said.

Subsequently, a group of VA members petitioned to DC Ukhrul on 3 January, 2024, raising objection to the chairman's claim/statement and requesting another fair enquiry in the matter.

Horam then urged the district administration to look into the matter seriously so as to bring about a peaceful settlement of the matter, taking into account the age-old traditional practices of the village.

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