Responding to Jalukielo statement, appeared in this daily June 25, the Ghowoto village council (GVC) today maintained it was not interested in propaganda and unending paper war but to set the record straight and let the public know the truth it was issuing statement. According to GVC chairman Phuhoto Zhimo, the village, established in the year 1951, was all for peace and tranquility and would not claim even an inch of land which belonged to others. However, the GVC said, at the same time the village would not part an inch of its land. Drawing attention to terms “encroachment and encroachers” dubbed by Jalukielo village, the GVC said the village would leave it into the wisdom and vulgaris opinion of the people to determine who the real encroachers were “since it was well established fact that Jalukielo are the one who is constructing the so-called village approach road within the vicinity of Ghowoto village and not vice-versa.” On the accusation by Jalukielo village that Ghowoto villages had ambushed its villagers on June 22, the GVC chairman said the accusation was “absolutely false and fabricated” to conceal series of alleged abduction, harassment and attacks on Ghowoto villagers without any provocation. The Ghowoto village council appealed to the neighbouring village to remain content with what belonged to and their God given land and not to indulge in “grabbing” others land, saying as it would destroy the social fabric of the society and lead to “unending turmoil.” Also, reacting to Dimapur police claim that Ghowoto villagers did not inform the IRB personnel stationed at Kakiho village, the Ghowoto village council maintained that statement of police of not reporting the mater was far from truth as its council secretary Loveshe June 22 had reported about the “abduction”. Reaffirming to maintain the status quo, the Ghowoto village council chairman requested the district administration to station security force to the boundary side as per the inter-district boundary demarcation committee dated May 28, 2002 so as to maintain “neutral peace keeping force.”
