Dimapur: A long-standing land dispute in Maova village under the Medziphema sub-division turned violent on Friday, leaving several people injured, including the Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) of Medziphema and police personnel. Houses, shops, and vehicles were damaged in the clashes.
According to a press release issued by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) and PRO of Dimapur Police, information was received around 9.30 a.m. about a meeting between members of the Chakhroma Youth Organisation and Maova villagers. Anticipating a possible law-and-order situation, the EAC, accompanied by the officer-in-charge of Medziphema Police Station, Dobashis, and security personnel, rushed to the site.
Officials said that upon arrival, both groups were engaged in heated arguments. By 10.30 a.m., the confrontation escalated into physical scuffles, with sticks, chairs, and stones reportedly used. Despite efforts by security forces to disperse the crowd, the violence intensified as nearly 2,000 people gathered at the location.
During the clashes, the EAC and two security personnel sustained injuries. A NAP (IR) jawan suffered a serious head injury in stone-pelting and was hospitalised. No fatalities were reported.
Police said a mob vandalised nine houses, three shops and set fire to multiple structures, including eight shops, a community hall, a youth office, and a council guest house under construction. More than 30 LPG cylinders reportedly exploded in the blaze. Twenty-one vehicles were damaged, three of them completely gutted.
Reinforcements led by the DCP of Chümoukedima, supported by fire tenders, brought the situation under control by 11.30 a.m. Security arrangements have since been tightened, and traffic in the area has resumed.
The Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, condemned the violence, arson, and destruction of property, urging citizens to maintain peace and refrain from spreading rumours or unverified information on social media. Authorities also cautioned against unlawful assembly and taking the law into one’s own hands.
The Chakhroma Public Organization (CPO) condemned the incident, stating that its members had gone to the village for dialogue. Addressing the media at the CPO Hall, CPO president Zhato Kimho said the Chakhroma community had historically maintained peaceful relations with Kuki villages in the region. He alleged that tensions had emerged in recent years over restrictions on land reportedly purchased by Naga individuals.
Kimho claimed that despite land transactions, development activities such as farming, fisheries, fencing, and construction were being obstructed in certain villages. Complaints regarding such restrictions, he said, had been received over the past three to four years.
Referring to the Maova dispute, he said the CPO conducted a physical verification following reports of construction on a contested plot and issued a notice on December 2, setting a December 25 deadline for removal of the structure. As there was no response, a delegation decided to meet the village authorities.
Kimho alleged that the delegation was blocked on the highway by villagers and that stone-pelting began shortly thereafter. He said around 24 CPO members were injured and three vehicles damaged. He maintained that the team had gone unarmed and with the intention of resolving the matter peacefully.
CPO vice-president Sebastian Zumvu also alleged that villagers were armed with stones, lathis, and daos. Finance secretary Zasivikho Zakiesato said responsibility lay with specific individuals and stressed that the incident should not be construed as a clash between communities.
Meanwhile, Maova Village Council chairman Sutminlal Vaiphei alleged that a large mob entered the village, vandalising property and torching structures. Vaiphei said the dispute involved two small plots near Chathe Bridge and had been under discussion since last year. He confirmed receipt of a notice and said a reply had been submitted.
“We believed they were coming for talks. The EAC, Dobashi, GB and I were discussing ways to defuse the issue when clashes broke out between youths,” Vaiphei said, denying any premeditated confrontation.
Village GB Seiboi said he had alerted the authorities after learning about a convoy heading towards the village. He alleged that several buildings, including a community hall, youth office, and shops, were set on fire, and that vehicles and property were damaged during the unrest.
Expressing concern over safety, village leaders appealed to the State government and the police to ensure adequate security and facilitate a peaceful resolution of the dispute. Dimapur Police reiterated its commitment to safeguarding lives and property, emphasising the need for collective responsibility in maintaining communal harmony.