Respected Sir,
Apropos to the Memorandum dated 22/12/2021 submitted by certain sections of people purportedly representing 41 different villages/colonies/organizations within Dhansiripar Sub-Division opposing the creation of Chümoukedima District and thereby deciding that they shall continue to remain under Dimapur District, the Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO) is once again constrained to submit this representation to highlight the various issues and request the State Government not to succumb to any pressure in the interest of j ustice.
1. It is an undeniable fact that the first settlers of the erstwhile Dimapur district (prior to 20 December, 2021) were the Angamis, Kacharis and Mikirs and subsequently, Garos, Kukis and some other people group migrated to the plains of Dimapur since the early part of the 20th Century. As for other Naga villages, especially within the Dhansiripar Sub-Division, most of the villages were established only after formation of Nagaland State except Shukhovi and Pimla which were established before Statehood. The traditional Chakhroma area extends beyond the present Nagaland-Assam boundary in West and Northwest while on the Southern side it borders with the traditional land of the Zeliang tribe. The CPO acknowledges that few Kachari, Kaki and Garo villages were within the traditional Chakhroma land and the inhabitants of these villages were indigenous inhabitants of the district.
2. It may further be stated that the first administrative headquarter of the Naga Hills was
net up by the British India at Chümoukedima in 1866 and subsequently, it was shifted to Kohima in 1878. As a matter of fact, during the early part of the last century, the Naga inhabited arms were administered as a district at Kohima and later on it was carved into 3 districts, then to 7 districts and so on till the last notification issued on 20th December, 2021 wherein Chümoukedima and Niuland districts were created along with Tseminyu. The CPO is to once again state that Dimapur district was separated from Kohima district in 1997 vide Notification dt.GAB-5/29/78(pt) dt 2/12/1997, however, it may be noted that when the Dimapur district was created in 1997, it has not touched upon any inter-tribal land holding or affect any traditional boundary of any tribe or tribes and as such, it was harmonious and CPO as well as every tribe living within Dimapur District honoured it without any complaint.
3. When the Notification for the up-gradation of Dimapur Sub-Division to that of a
district was issued in 1997, it unequivocally states that “The jurisdiction of the new District of Dimapur shall comprise of the existing sub-Divisions of Dimapur and Niuland with Head Quarters at Chümoukedima”. The CPO noted that on completion of all the infrastructures for the office of Deputy Commissioner after a quarter of a century, few individuals and organizations raised objection for shifting the office of the Deputy Commission to the newly constructed site at Chümoukedima citing very unreasonable and flimsy reasons, regrettably, the State Government succumbed to the pressures without consulting the stake holders or without having any broad-based discussion on the merits of shifting to a more spacious and centrally located area of the district. The CPO wonders whether the State administration is being run to suit the interest of a few individuals rather than giving good administration to the people. It may further be noted that the CPO had never demanded the creation of Chümoukedima district but had submitted a proposal dated 30/10/2021 stating in unambiguous terms (quote) “… if the State Government is not in a position to shift the office of the Deputy Commissioner as notified and duly published in the Official Gazzete to the newly constructed site at Chümoukedima, the CPO resolved that a new district be created with the District as Chümoukedima District” (unquote). The CPO observed that the State Government vide Notification dated 20° December, 2021 created Chümoukedima District with headquarters at Chümoukedima comprising of the following areas : (i) Existing administrative area of Medziphema Sub-Division, (ii) Existing administrative area of Dhansiripar Sub-Division and (iii) Administrative area of Seithekema EAC Circle.
4. The State Government may note that if the administrative area of Dhansiripar Sub-
Division is to be bifurcated and he placed under two districts as demanded, vide the Memorandum cited above, it is going to disturb the age old traditional land boundary between the Chakhroma and the Zeliang in its southwestern boundary. The CPO is not against any individual establishing village or villages within its traditional land. However, by establishing a village or villages does not give any individual’s right to usurp the rights of the traditional land owners. As you are well aware that in Nagaland, the rights over land lays with the traditional land owners and every tribe has its own well demarcated traditional land boundary with its neighbouring tribe/tribes so is also with the Chakhroma people. By placing certain areas of Dhansiripar Sub-Division under Dimapur District will create unnecessary troubles and unrest among the people leading to litigations which will harm the interest of the public in general and the Chakhroma people in particular. Further, a thin strip of land along the inter-state boundary of Nagaland and Assam under Dimapur District may not be in the interest of the state as a whole. Moreover, basing on the Memorandum cited above, whether the areas demanded to be placed under Dimapur District is contiguous with the Dimapur Sadar area is another aspect which the authority may kindly look into.
In the light of the above stated facts, the Chakhroma Public Organisation once again appeal to the State Government not to succumb to unreasonable pressures as it was done in the case of shifting Deputy Commissioner’s Office to Chümoukedima and to strictly adhere to the areas notified vide its Notification dt 20/12/2021. Further, the State Government may be informed that the Chakhroma people too are not resilience enough to bear unlimited insults and may react if any changes are to be effected in the Notification dated 20/12/2021 without consultation and concurrence of the CPO.
Vichütuolie Mere
President,
Chakhroma Public
Organisation.
Mhiesisato Vüprü
General Secretary,
Chakhroma Public Organisation.