Mao Council seeks intervention from ‘any Naga authority’ to settle dispute

EMN
Dimapur, June 2

Mao Council has sought intervention from “any Naga authority or organization” to resolve the ongoing dispute between the Mao and Angami organizations over ownership of swathes of land in Dzukou Valley. ““Mao people will be very grateful if any Naga authority or organization comes in and intervene and solve the issue once and for all. Maos do not want to live in conflict with Southen Angami Organisation (SAPO), we are neighbours and are going to be neighbours forever,” the Mao Council stated in a press release issued to the media on Tuesday.
The council was responding to the Southern Angami Public Organization (SAPO). “According to the statement of SAPO on September 10, 2011 at the APO building Kohima, prior to their settlement at KezoltsatKoziiri as they claimed so, they settled at Shiingafii, at present Kaibi village which is just adjacent to Makhel village. Our forefathers said the same, Shiingafii literally means the settle place of Viswema people, so there is no doubt among the Maos that long time back before they moved out from Mao area, they lived at Shiingafii,” the council said in the press release.
“So also Mima village people made their village at Mileh, a hillock about 4/5 km south of Makhel, which is not inhabited by anybody at present. We have a history about Mima village people at Mileh and how they left the place,” the council said.
The Mao Council expressed “wonder” about “where one got the history of Viswe and his descendants’ settlement in Kezoltsa/Koziirii. If it was so, our forefathers would have passed on the story to us”.
The Mao Council said that its community was not “telling lies when we say that we never heard of Viswe’s settlement at Koziiri at any point of time. We are Christians; we love ourselves, our children and our neighbours as well. Our today’s work whether good or bad will affect our children and descendants”.
The press release stated: “Mao people stayed at Makhel and settled in and around Makhel from the time of Tenyimi dispersal till today. But Mao people never heard that Viswe and his descendants moved north west of Makhel and landed up at Koziiri/Kezoltsa. Mao people only knew and believed that Angamis, Chakhesang and some other tribes moved to the north of Makhel, stayed at Kezakhenoma and later moved to different locations for settlement”.
The organization also invited observers to refer to JH Hutton’s (1885-1968) book, “The Angami Nagas” published by Macmillan & Co. Ltd., London 1921. On page-113 it says, “It is admitted that however, that at the time of entry of the Angamis into their present country ( the first Angami village to settle north of the Mao gap is universally believed to have been Kezakenonma, to which all Angami villages trace their origin)”.
Referring to the passage, the council said that “In Mao dialect kozii means dark and kori means river and we name the river koziiri (dark river) because the area used to be dark even during day time. The thick dark forest was considered indomitable, feared and unsuitable for habitation during those days. If Viswe went and settled this area even if Maos do not know, other neighbouring Tenyimis may also know, their honest witness as Oeiquistians may be of immense help. But on this matter of witness from the Tenyimi brotlieWMaos nor SAPO should motivate or convince anybody, village or tribes to give false witness for want of getting the land”.
It added: “And even if anybody knew of Viswe’s settlement in Koziiri/Kezoltsa, SAPO must prove it with scientific evidence”.
The council also narrated an incident ‘several generations ago’, when the Maos and Viswema formed a team of hundred warriors from each community and settled them at Siivu / Laizhu, north-east of present Maopungdung and north of Chowainamai villages near Koziiri “with clear terms between them that whoever retread will not get anything”.
Many returned to their own village, the council’s statement said, “but some remained. From Viswema side some of those who remained are today living in Maopungdung village”.
Also, during 1964-67, the second brigade of “Naga army” consisting of almost entirely Angami “soldiers” established their camp at Emefiithu located at the southernmost eastern corner of Koziiri/Kezoltsa just about ‘1-12’ kilometers air distance from Kezoltsa. “During the last part of their stay at Emefiithu, the Naga army, 2 of the 2’ brigade carried away huge quantity of timber from Chahngophe and Koziiri/Kezoltsa area. Mao people just saw the carrying away of timber to the SAPO area but didn’t raise a voice because those days who can raise a voice against the national army,” the council said.
The Mao Council has stated that in 2000, one Daniel, a Viswema village chairman of the time, and a former underground, constructed a rest house at the foothill of Mt. Isii “which forms a part of Koziiri”.

“This construction was the beginning of Maos and SAPO conflict over Koziiri after 1985 incident over Dziiko. Mr. Daniel’s boundary marks extended three times to reach Rakukokubu on the eastern side of north Koziiri,” the council said.
Further, the press release stated, during the hearing of statement by TPO on September 10, 2011, in the APO building in Kohima, “SAPO cooked up a false history of Pudunamai, Song Song and Mao people on their settlement in their written statement to suit their intention. Further we even have question on their statement on pg.2 “It is a fact that other southern Angami villages spread further from Viswema and Kigwema villages”, because Viswema and Mima had their own separate village identity from the time when they moved out from Mao area”.
The Mao people therefore, do not believe “SAPO’s cock and bull story of their settlement in Koziiri/Kezoltsa. SAPO took advantage of their past little access to the area during the time of hundred warriors each of Mao and Viswema and 2nd Brigade Camp during 1964 — 67 and began to cook up a story to grab the traditional land of Mao people. Koziiri and part of Dziiko which is attached to Isii mountain is Mao traditional land passed on to them by their forefathers and they shall defend it to the last”.
On the issue of “whether Maos are Meiteis or Nagas”, the Mao Council said it wanted to say a “few words here”:
“The Mao Nagas are under the administration of Manipur. Manipur government is their government. Mao representative is in the Manipur Legislative Assembly. When SAPO is encroaching Mao traditional land under Manipur’s political boundary by constructing road with heavy machineries like bull dozers and excavators is it provocative to approach the govt. of Manipur for reasonable and peaceful intervention? Does SAPO want Maos to come up to the spot of road construction with fire arms like them? SAPO volunteers were present with arms on 22” November, 2014 at Azhoaka when Manipur government officials came for spot inquiry. If it is their ancestral land whom do they fear?”