Mao Council refutes SAPO claim; Naga Hoho concerned
Source: Chronicle News Service / Newmai News Network

Senapati/Dimapur, December 16 2022: In a rejoinder to the recent press release of Southern Angami People's Organisation (SAPO) "notifying restriction/prohibi-tion of Mao people in SAPO area", Mao Council (MC) on Friday asserted that, after the Tenyimi People's Organisation (TPO) intervened in the dispute over Dziiko and Koziirii Kezoltsa for SAPO) in 2015-2016, it was decreed that the parties in dispute should refrain from going to the media to avoid paper war and to ensure conducive environment.

The Council pointed out that the SAPO release dated December 7 was the latest of several media statements issued by SAPO and Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) to 'misrepresent' to the public the facts and situation of the dispute.

It also said that the Mao people in deference to the TPO stricture have refrained from going to the press.

"Our silence has been severely misconstrued as seen from posts on social media," the Council added.

According to Mao Council, SAPO has been projecting that the Mao and Maram people from Manipur had teamed up against the Southern Angamis of Nagaland.

But this is "blatantly misleading" and the reverse seems obvious.

"Maram Khullen is a separate claimant over Koziirii (Dziiko excluded) who came in much later and was admitted by TPO as party to the dispute only in March 2016 and the dispute thereafter became a triangular contest.

The brotherhood affirmation of SAYO and the Northern Maram Student and Youth Organisation held on December 5 clearly mentions Koziirii (Kezoltsa) as an issue for their affirmation and speaks clearly of the equations in the triangular situation of the dispute," the MC statement added.

Stating that SAPO also "speaks about undesirable aggression of the Mao Council with the help of the government of Manipur", MC clarified, "While the Mao Council cannot speak for the Government of Manipur, it is because of the SAPO/SAYO's unlawful and provocative activities in Koziirii/Dziiko area that the Manipur government promulgated 144 CrPC, constructed police base camp and connecting road in Koziirii area".

According to the MC, in March, 2021, a team of TPO/BOA and constituents tribes met the Manipur chief minister at Imphal.

He expressed his respect for the TPO/BOA and their initiative to settle the dispute peacefully but stated at the same time that it was his responsibility to secure the safety of the public and protect the forest and ecology of the area which had been ravaged by wildfire in December 2020, it noted.

"He also expressed concern about the presence of unlawful and provocative armed elements/persons in the disputed area and that it was his responsibility to enforce the rule of law in the area within his jurisdiction.

The TPO, BOA and the delegates of tribe leaders who participated in the meeting are witnesses of this episode," the Council maintained.

According to the Mao Council, SAPO's provocative activities on record are numerous including one in which the deputy commissioner Senapati along with security forces, NDRF, SDRF and local leaders were physically confronted, abused, threatened when they went to assess the situation for prevention and control of damages caused by the wildfire in January 2021.Another one is that of "threatening the security forces who were Stationed there to control and monitor the wild fire".

One of such provocative activities of SAPO is also a case of "abduction and detention" of Mao trekkers and extraction of illegal fines from them.

"Carrying and firing of sophisticated arms in Koziirii and Mao Dziiko area and use of the rest house by armed persons roaming in the area within Manipur jurisdiction and total restriction of entry to trekkers and visitor to Dziiko valley from routes other than specified by SAPO/SAYO, although 2/3 of Dziiko valley falls under the jurisdiction of Manipur" were also some of the provocative activities of SAPO, it alleged.

The release observed that it may, therefore, be understood that the Government of Manipur has been carrying out its duties and responding to the situation as it should and the charge of MC having brought in the Government of Manipur into the land dispute does not have any basis.

There were many reports and allegations made by SAPO against the Council and as such verifications were carried out by the TPO/BOA, the statement said and pointed out that many of the allegations were found baseless and some issues were resolved, with warnings and even payment of fine for violation of the "arbitration undertaking" where appropriate.

"But the SAPO has not complied till date with TPO/BOA's directive for return of the fanes extracted from seven innocent trekkers in December 2020 nor any apology for their detention, abduction and handing them over to police custody as if they were criminals," it further decried.

The Council noted that the "Mao portion of Dziiko" is only 11.28 sq km with clear boundary marked by natural landmarks while the entire Dziiko valley is more than 55 sq km spread out between Manipur and Nagaland and falls under Southern Angami, Western Angami, Zeliang and Mao traditional lands.

"In terms of location, 2/3 of the total Dziiko area falls under Manipur state," it also said.

Stating that in 2000, the illegal construction of a SAPO rest house at Chitekayi Ingo, which is well within Mao traditional land brought in Koziirii, the thick forest adjacent to the Mao Dziiko area was an area of dispute, the Mao Council conveyed that the SAPO press release does not make mention of Dziiko as an area of dispute and therefore it is understood that they are in agreement with our assertion of ownership over Mao Dziiko, where marker willow trees (Ozii sii) were planted by our ancestors and also where Emei Chikhe (Mao Cave) is located.

As per the Council, trekking and related tourism activities were organised as part of the Sangai Festival as trekking to Dziiko Valley is in Mao portion and trekking and clearing of existing footpath for the trekkers does not violate the TPO agreement for the obvious reason that the bounty of nature is for everyone to enjoy and to be blessed with.

"But a public statement was issued by SAYO against trekking to Dziiko (Mao portion) with threat of consequences if the trekking was organised," it alleged.

The Mao Council also said, "True to their words they acted with intimidating gun firing in the vicinity" .

It further stated that the TPO/BOA is the forum to place any report of violation of the "Arbitration Undertaking" or any act that goes against the spirit of the arbitration process.

The Council claimed that the "overbearing attitude" and the intent to ride roughshod over the TPO/BOA and it constituent units is being blatantly demonstrated by SAPO's action.

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