ZMA says dispute remained unsettled despite customary court proceedings; acknowledges retaliatory burning of houses
The Zaonger Mihkhung Arihako (ZMA), the citizens’ union of Zaonger village, has attributed the recent violence involving the Yimkhiung and Tikhir communities in Kiphire district to a longstanding village dispute that it said remained unresolved despite customary court proceedings and representations to the state government.
In a press statement issued on October 12, the ZMA said the dispute over Zaonger village had been pending since 2025 and that the final stage of settlement through a traditional oath-taking process remained incomplete.
The statement comes after violence on October 10 during the Tikhir community’s Tsonglak-Nyi Festival celebrations in the Zaonger and Longtsunger areas. According to the Kiphire district administration, the violence left one person dead and another injured, both belonging to the Tikhir community, while houses were burnt or vandalised in Pungro town, Zaonger, Pokphur and Longtsunger.
The ZMA said the Deputy Commissioner, Kiphire, constituted a District Customary Court in April 2025, following directions from the Commissioner, Nagaland, to adjudicate the dispute in accordance with Point 3 of the Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Yimkhiung Tribal Council (YTC) and the Tikhir Tribal Council (TTC) during the recognition of the Tikhir tribe.
The provision states that disputes between members of the two communities should be localised and resolved through customary laws and practices, with the status quo maintained.
According to the ZMA, the court directed the Zaonger Village Council on May 14, 2025, to advance Rs 25,000 towards the final traditional oath-taking ceremony. The amount was paid, but the concluding stage of the settlement remained pending.
The union further stated that the Joint Coordination Committee of Zaonger village submitted a 45-day ultimatum to the state government in December 2025, seeking resolution of the matter under the MoU. It alleged that no appropriate action followed.
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The statement said 73 individuals who had identified themselves as Tikhir were subsequently expelled from village citizenship and directed to leave the village with their properties. The ZMA alleged that they continued to challenge the village authority and that the directive to vacate had not been complied with.
Recounting the events preceding the violence, the union said Gaon Buras of Zaonger visited the venue on October 9 after learning that the Tsonglak-Nyi Festival was scheduled to be held in the village the following day. According to the statement, they cautioned those present against proceeding with the celebration, citing a village council standing order dated April 21, 2026.
The union said officials from the Pungro administration and the Officer-in-Charge of Pungro Police Station also visited the village on October 9 and met representatives of both parties to discuss the dispute.
However, the ZMA alleged that festival preparations continued after the officials left. It said a confrontation occurred on the morning of October 10 when village residents approached a gathering and asked those assembled to disperse and leave the village.
According to the statement, arguments broke out over the right to hold the celebration, followed by incidents of vandalism at a house. The union alleged that a voice message in the Tikhir dialect subsequently circulated on WhatsApp, calling on Tikhir youth volunteers to mobilise and destroy houses belonging to members of the Yimkhiung community.
The ZMA further alleged that houses belonging to Yimkhiung residents were later set on fire in Pokphur, escalating tensions in the area.
The Zaonger citizens’ union acknowledged that residents of the village subsequently retaliated by setting fire to some houses belonging to the expelled members.
The union expressed regret over the escalation and said the village authority had been pursuing a localised and peaceful settlement of the dispute.
It also said it was prepared to produce relevant documents, resolutions and supporting evidence before the competent authorities.
Clarifying its position on the festival, the ZMA said it had no objection to the Tikhir community celebrating Tsonglak-Nyi outside Zaonger village. However, it objected to the celebration being organised within the village by individuals it said had been expelled from village citizenship while continuing to claim affiliation with Zaonger.
The claims and sequence of events outlined in the statement represent the ZMA’s account of the dispute and have not been independently established. The response of the Tikhir Tribal Council and the district administration to the specific allegations was not included in the statement.
