Khezhakeno Village Council denounces claims made by Tungjoy Village Authority Council
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 15 2018:
The Khezhakeno Village Council has denounced the false and baseless claims made by Tungjoy Village Authority Council (TVAC) in the local media that the People's Festival 2018 and the Hornbill Festival activities were forcibly held in their village jurisdiction, said a statement issued by Khezhakeno Village Council.
A press release issued by Chairman village council, Khezhakeno District Phek, said that no official communication was received from any village authority nor from the Manipur Government objecting to the festival activities.
In the statement, it is mentioned that questioning the moral and legal correctness of the Nagaland Government was uncalled for and the Nagaland Government is well aware that the land and the spot is within Nagaland.
It also maintained that the Nagaland Government is conversant with its boundaries and the claims of the Tungjoy village cannot be tolerated.
The boundary issue as mentioned by Tungjoy village council chairman, is a settled case, dating back to 1872 under the then Naga Hill and Manipur State Darbar by Captain Butler and Dr Gordon and affirmed by the official notification of C T Lyod, the then Under Secretary to the Government of Assam in 1925 under the Watershed Principle, it added.
The statement also mentioned that because of the aggressive action perpetrated on the people of Khezhakeno, several round of discussion took place over the years and some landmark decisions were reached by the Administration and Police of both Manipur and Nagaland.
It claimed that in 1933, GP Stewart, president Manipur State Darbar and Dr JH Hutton, Deputy Commissioner of Naga Hills had dealt with the case and went on to order "The land in dispute is all in Naga Hills as the district boundary runs along the water shed" and in 1950, the two DCs of Nagaland and Manipur reaffirmed the above order and the order is read as "the disputed land will remain in the possession of Khezhakenoma.........the boundary which we saw yesterday as given by Khezhakenoma will stand.
Neither party will cross the boundary".
The statement further claimed that in 1979, the Commissioner of Nagaland, Z Obed and Sharma, Divisional Commissioner Manipur along with DCs and IGPs of both sides met at Chida valley and agreed to abide by the watershed principle demarcation of 1872 and Chida NAP outpost was accordingly established.
Saying that the strongest decision was taken in 1982 by the two Chief Secretaries of Nagaland and Manipur along with other dignitaries that read as "As far as the the State boundary is concerned, the 1872 survey made by Butler and Dr Gordon is final and inalienable and State boundary can be altered by an act of Parliament only and therefore, there is no question of opening any discussion on the State boundary", the statement added and maintained that in 2012, some individuals from Tungjoy started cultivating vegetables in Chida valley, however after the meeting of the DCs and SPs of Phek and Senapati district, it was decided that the crops will be seized and that the earlier decision will be honoured.
The statement cautioned that the Khezhakeno Village Council will not take things lying down anymore and decided to resort to force if neccesary against all boundary violators and encroachers in their land.
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