The DimapurPeren border area is a disputed territory inhabited by different Naga tribes on each side of the border. The two major tribes are the Sumis in Dimapur and the Zeliangrong community (representative of the three Naga tribes of Zeme, Liangmai and Rongmei) in Peren district. In a communique issued in June 2019 by the Nagaland Home Department, Principal Secretary Abhijit Sinha noted that the disputed land has been the cause of friction between the two tribal communities – Sumi and Zeme and that the endless vigilance of local authorities has helped keep possible flareups at bay. In the communiqu, Sinha urged people in the disputed area to restrain from engaging in any unruly behaviour. Invoking the ties of Naga unity, the government also appealed to the respective tribe leaders to maintain peace in the area. But two months later, on September 6, 2019, unidentified gunmen stormed Lamhainamdi village, located on the border of the two districts, and opened indiscriminate fire. They burnt down several makeshift huts, tents and structures as well as the village church. No casualties were reported as the village residents fled to the surrounding forests. Sentiwapang Aier, deputy commissioner of Peren, told LCW that the border between Peren and Dimapur districts has been a matter of longstanding contention and that the dispute existed even before Peren was created as a separate district in 2004 following its bifurcation from Kohima. The dispute continues even now because several villages, of which many are unrecognised, still share the same unsettled boundary with Dimapur that they did before, only Peren had then existed as a subdivision of Kohima and not as a separate district. Though an exact time of the creation of Lamhainamdi village could not be ascertained, it is reportedly newly established and its current status remains unrecognised, as confirmed by the district commissioner. Following the attack, Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton constituted a Cabinet Sub Committee to resolve the dispute amicably while also undertaking measures to demarcate the entire district boundary. He called for an immediate status quo in the disputed area, alongside a halt to all infrastructure and developmentrelated activities. The Sub Committee visited the disputed area and interacted with the communities later in September. According to Patton, the border dispute intensified with the formation of Peren district. At that time, clearcut demarcation of the boundary could not be established due to competing claims by the two communities. That led to the present quagmire, with half of the disputed area falling under Dimapur district and the other half under Peren. Several organisations representing the Zeliangrong community condemned the attack. On October 22, 2019, Zeliangrong Baudi, a civil society organisation, staged a rally demanding a just demarcation of the district boundary, which takes into account history and rights of the people. Other civil society organisations Zeme Council, Liangmai Council, Rongmei Council Peren, All Zeliangrong Students Union demanded in a joint statement that the government evict the unrecognised neighbouring villages of Lamhainamdi. These villages include Kehoi, Pushito, Vihuto and Hetoi. The organisations have blamed these villages for the attack, which they believe was an attempt to grab land. Although the police had initiated an investigation, the gunmen remained unidentified and no arrests have been made so far. When asked about the current status of the dispute, the deputy commissioner told LCW that the progress was interrupted due to the outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic and that the status of Lamhainamdi village, the exact details about the land negotiation and the outcome of the Sub Committee will be announced in due time. Yet, on March 22, 2021, at least three people were killed and two vehicles burnt down by unknown assailants in what is considered an issue relating to the border dispute. According to a news report, a search operation was conducted and the area was inspected by the police, who recovered prohibited arms and ammunition from the site. On March 23, a shutdown was announced in the district by the Nagaland Zeliang People Organisation.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Proper demarcation of district boundaries
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Constitutional Law, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Attempted killing
Torching of houses
Displacement
Killing
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Houses were torched and shots were fired indiscriminately. A church was also burnt down. On March 22, 2021, three individuals were killed and two vehicles were burnt down.
Date of Violation
September 6, 2019
Location of Violation
Lamhainamdi Village
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Government of Nagaland, District Administration of Dimapur and Peren, Directorate of Land Records and Revenue
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
Yes
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
Sarup is a researcher and doctoral student in Political Science at the North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. His research interests lie in the area of ethnic and land conflicts, political ecology and development and urban spaces of Northeast India. He has a Masters’ degree in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. He has previously done research/internships with NABARD, Oxford Microfinance Initiative (renamed Oxford Development Consultancy) and CSDS (Lokniti Programme).
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