Sihai VA chairman asked to clarify claim
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, January 22 2024: The Sihai Khunou Village Assembly has demanded immediate clarification over a so-called clarification issued in the name of Sihai Khunou Village Authority published in a local newspaper recently, while calling it a highly misleading and distorted claim.

Briefing the media in Ukhrul town, here, on Monday, village assembly speaker Mark Shimray stated that the clarification published on January 18, jointly signed by village chairman Ngathingpam P Shimray and secretary H Shimreingam, claimed that the Sihai Khunou general public meeting on January 4, 2024 had unanimously reaffirmed the headmanship of the village.

Strongly rejecting the baseless claim, Shimray, who chaired the public assembly, demanded immediate clarification on this false statement.

"As the speaker of the village assembly, I strongly feel that the distortion of facts to serve a selfish personal motive is not only defamatory towards me, but it also betrays the entire village public," he contended and stated that he, on behalf of the public of Sihai Khunou, demand prompt clarification on this matter.

Shimray, who is also the former chairman of the village authority, stated that the so-called clarification published in the newspaper on January 18, was an attempt to distort the facts and mislead the public.

He clarified that there was no adoption of any resolution or reaffirmation regarding the headmanship of the village at the public assembly on January 4, adding that the general public and the assembly records are proof of this fact.

He said that the so-called clarification was ostensibly published in response to factual truth about the legal sub headmanship dispute published in several local newspapers and media outlets recently.

Shimray also pointed out that the village chairman has no role in issuing or publishing any official clarification regarding assembly matters.

"But, by doing so, the chairman has only shown his bias towards one of the two parties involved in the long-standing dispute over the legal sub headmanship of the village, under the customary headman of Sihai Khullen village," he said.

Also, a former pastor of the local church.

Shimray stressed the importance of clarifying the matter to avoid any further misinformation and misunderstand ing among the villagers, while urging the responsible parties to address the issue truthfully.

"We have all grown up knowing the historical accounts of our village and the truth cannot be distorted, which is unacceptable," he added.

As shared by Shimray, the dispute over the sub-headmanship first arose in the village in 1992."This issue continued and in 1949 during the then Ukhrul SDO Tianghham's period, a customary test known as 'Rihailung Khamakei' was administered to the two disputing parties.

This test involved biting a stone while swearing in the name of Ameowa (God), a ritual that was commonly practiced among non-Christians".

According to the terms of the agreement, the party that survived the test would be granted the right to sub-headmanship of the village.

If both parties survived, they would share the responsibilities of governing the village on an alternate basis every three years, informed Shimray.

In the end, both parties survived the test and were given the opportunity to alternate in governing the village for a period of three years each.

This continued until 1992 when the village public collectively decided to establish a chairmanship administration instead of having alternating sub-headmanship, in order to improve the administration of the village, he said.

Later in 2003, the village was granted Pattadarship during the tenure of former village chairman Vareingam Horam, Shimray added.

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