Kohima, Oct 12: The Zaonger Mihkhung Arihako (ZMA), or Citizens’ Union, has attributed the October 10 clash in Zaonger village to a longstanding dispute between members of the Yimkhiung and Tikhir communities, calling for a resolution under customary laws and an existing agreement between their tribal councils.
In a statement issued on Monday, ZMA expressed regret over the incident, which reportedly caused property damage and displaced residents. It said the dispute should be resolved under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Yimkhiung Tribal Council (YTC) and the Tikhir Tribal Council (TTC).
According to ZMA, the Kiphire deputy commissioner constituted a District Customary Court in April 2025 following directions from the Commissioner of Nagaland. On May 14, 2025, the court directed the Zaonger Village Council to advance ₹25,000 for a traditional oath-taking ceremony. Although the amount was paid, the final stage of the settlement remained pending.
The union said the village’s Joint Coordination Committee issued a 45-day ultimatum to the state government in December 2025, seeking resolution under the MoU. It also cited the withdrawal of village citizenship from 73 individuals who identified themselves as Tikhir and an April 21, 2026, village council order restricting them from organising public programmes in Zaonger.
ZMA said village Gaon Buras visited the festival venue on October 9 after learning that the Tikhir Tsonglak-Nyi Festival 2026 was scheduled there. They urged the organisers not to proceed. Officials from the Pungro administration and police also met both parties, according to the statement.
Despite the advisories, preparations continued, ZMA alleged. On October 10, a confrontation broke out when residents asked those gathered to disperse peacefully. A house was vandalised, and the Tikhir individuals subsequently left the village, it said.
The statement further alleged that a voice message in the Tikhir dialect circulated on WhatsApp, calling on youths to mobilise and attack Yimkhiung households. ZMA claimed tensions spread to Pokphur and Longtsonger, while houses belonging to Yimkhiung residents in Pokphur were subsequently set on fire.
ZMA acknowledged that some Zaonger residents retaliated by burning houses belonging to individuals whose village citizenship had been withdrawn. It expressed regret over the escalation.
The organisation said it had no objection to the Tikhir community celebrating Tsonglak-Nyi outside Zaonger, but opposed holding the festival within the village by individuals whose village citizenship had been withdrawn.
ZMA said it was ready to submit documents and supporting evidence to the authorities and reiterated its call for a peaceful, localised settlement. The account and allegations reflect ZMA’s version of events; responses from the other parties were not included in its statement.
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