Tension at Manipur-Nagaland border over boundary
Source: Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, April 12 2011: Tension peaked at the Manipur-Nagaland interstate border at Mao today as Mao people were restricted entery to Nagaland by residents of Kigwema village in Nagaland following the resurfacing of land dispute at the inter-state border.

Reports said that the fresh tension erupted when villagers of Mao were prevented from entering Kozure land by the villagers of Kigwema yesterday claiming that the land belongs to them.

Kigwema residents are imposing the restriction under the banner of the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) claiming that the Mao Council had failed to initiate any steps for a peaceful negotiation on the Kozure dispute.

Kozure is known as Kezol by the Angamis.

SAYO imposed the restriction to the entery of Maos in the area for five days beginning last midnight.

The restriction will also cover NH 39 and will continue till April 15, reports said.

Hundreds of volunteers of SAYO set up restriction check gates at Kezo town and Kigwema and conducted frisking and checking of vehicles to find if any person from Mao was moving to and fro in the Southern Angami region.

The first day went off peacefully without any untoward incident, report said.

Owing to the tense situation bus and other passenger services between Mao and Kohima have been suspended.

However, buses originating from Imphal, Senapati and other places of Manipur were allowed to to pass through after a thorough checking by Mao villagers.

The dispute over the land at Kozure where a TB hospital was constructed by the Manipur government, mention may be made, has been a matter of contention between the Mao people and the Angamis of Kigwema and its surrounding areas which was started by the construction of a rest house by the Southern Angami Youth Organisation (SAYO) in 2001 even as Mao villagers had strongly objected claiming the land belonged to them.

The matter worsened when villagers of Song Song of Manipur destroyed the rest house.

But it was later reconstructed under the directive of Tenyimi Peoples� Organisation (TPO) with the condition that no tribe/village will claim the rest house to be within their boundary.

The said land dispute cropped up in 1985 when South Angami People's Organisation (SAPO) volunteers reportedly abducted some Mao student leaders visiting Dzuko valley and made them sign a paper under duress and was 'jailed', alleging that the rest house at Is�phi was destroyed by Song-Song village youths.

On March 18, 2010, SAPO volunteers abducted the general secretary of Pfonemai Development Association and his companions from �Raku kokubu� hill and were detained for three days at Zakhama.

They were released through the intervention of TPO who was committed to settle the case within four months.

The Mao Council alleged that the present action is being undertaken by SAPO and SAYO against the directives of TPO.

Mao Council is seeking settlement of land dispute or differences with the neighbouring villagers according to tradition and customary laws without using one�s might and strength.

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