Western Sumi Youth Front urges Nagaland government to enforce July 8, 2019 order

Dimapur, Nov. 26 (EMN): Western Sumi Youth Front (WSYF) strongly urged the state government to immediately enforce its order issued on July 8, 2019, for peace to prevail.

The WSYF claimed that Kiyevi village comes purely under the Western Sumi region permitted by the British adding that even the High Court had given a clear order about Western Sema region.

It alleged that every part of the land, which the Zeliang people now claimed to their traditional ancestor land belonged, to the Kacharis.

WSYF stated that Kiyevi village has been living peacefully for 79 years with all its neighbouring villages until September 4, 2018, when Lamhai Village Council issued NOC authorisation for establishing new village to any Zeliangrong people in their traditional ancestors land, but were sent to Kiyevi village thereby hampering the peaceful relationship.

WSYF also accused the Zeliang people of creating enemies with the Sumi people by deploying Manipuri Nagas and other Naga tribes in Kiyevi village land by making profit earning of INR 4,000 as registration fees per plot.

“After the incident of 24th March 2021, protests were held violently in Peren where all the arrested people involved in the crime were found to be Nagas of Manipur,” WSYF alleged.

“Kiyevi village had been given a shifting order by the government of Nagaland in the year 1978 in exchange of land, but that does not mean that the land belongs to Zeliang people, the order clearly mentioned that it will be a government reserved forest with exchange of land likewise Besimpuikam village had also been given a shifting order by the government of Nagaland in the year 26th Feb. 1995 in exchange of land, but is presently residing in the same old village instead, had established many new villages under that order,” it added.

On the NSCN (IM)’s statement on October 25, 2022, which acknowledged the Ntangki forest as the traditional ancestor land of Zeliang, WSYF has termed as ‘totally a false alarming statement.’

“If the Nagas want to know the truth, all well official documentation with sale deed agreement is in the government office, the blunder statement of NSCN/GPRN (IM) is totally against the will of Nagas, it is a common property of Nagas in general and a reserve forest (National park) of the government and not a traditional ancestors land of Zeliang,” WSYF said.

It also stated that every Naga must clearly understand and know why the government had issued two separate orders — a status quo on June 25, 2019, and eviction order on July 8, 2019.

WSYF added that it would not allow any individual or groups to forcefully occupy their land. While affirming to take any extreme step against encroachers to ensure and defend every inch of the land which is rightfully theirs, it cautioned that the government would be solely held responsible for not enforcing the issued order in the event of any kind of eventuality.