Tension gripped the villages of Diezephe and Tsithrongse in Nagaland after residents of both the villages engaged in destruction of public and private properties and arson on 10 February 2024 over an old land dispute.
Situated within the administrative purview of Chümoukedima district, approximately 15 kilometres southwest of Dimapur, these two communities have long grappled with conflicting claims over specific territories. Despite being divided by the Public Works Department (PWD) road, contention arises over certain areas purportedly contested by both villages.
According to a report, people from Diezephe village alleged that individuals from Tsithrongse village arrived with arms and destroyed properties within Diezephe village boundaries amidst a contentious land dispute. The alleged vandalism included the demolition of resting sheds, cultivation areas, houses, etc. They also fired shots in the air. Following which, residents of Diezephe village reportedly retaliated and burnt down houses in Tsithrongse village.
A source from Police department stated, “There was no physical confrontation between the two parties but both the parties took to destroying the other’s property on lands claimed by both. The two villages are separated by the PWD road but there are disputed areas on one side. It is a long pending village border dispute. Only the revenue department will have an idea about the demarcation, if there are records.”
Following fresh tension, Commissioner of Police Dimapur, Kevithuto Sophie, imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) within both the villages._ _This directive took effect at 6 pm on 10 February 2024 and it was revoked on 11 March 2024.
Furthermore, the Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, also issued additional directives to the residents of both villages to deposit all licensed arms.
On 12 February 2024, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Chümoukedima, Abhinav Shivam, met the representatives from two villages, Tenyimia Union Dimapur (TUD) and Eastern Nagaland People’s Union Dimapur (ENPUD), and directed both the villages to maintain status quo. The DC further said that that the leaders of two villages would engage their communities and come together for future discussions with regard to the ongoing legal proceedings and the importance of peaceful conflict resolution._ _
The matter of reported gunfire during the incident has been referred to law enforcement authorities for investigation.
Earlier in 2015, residents of Tsithrongse village had approached Gauhati High Court regarding a boundary dispute with neighbouring Selouphe village council. However, the High Court noted that the case at hand involved a factual determination of the disputed land. The Court directed the deputy commissioner of the district to carry out an enquiry.
Meanwhile, a peace committee has been established to address the "35 years long dispute" between Diezephe and Tsithrongse villages. The committee was formed during a meeting of Tenyimi Union Dimapur (TUD) and Eastern Nagaland People’s Union Dimapur (ENPUD) on 28 February 2024. Five members each from the two villages are part of the committee.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
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
Non-agri rural enterprise, Residential area, Commercial
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
Legislations/Policies Involved
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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
No
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:
Torching of houses
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
It is claimed that the incident led to the damage of several properties such as vandalism of cemeteries, village signboards, gates, market sheds, and burning of a house.
Date of Violation
February 9, 2024
Location of Violation
Diezephe and Tsithrongse
Nagaland
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.
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