Ukhrul: The Shangkai Village Authority has strongly condemned what it described as a “baseless ultimatum” issued against Shangkai village, asserting that the demand for the residents to vacate their land is an attempt to intimidate a peaceful community and distort historical facts.
In a press statement issued yesterday, the Shangkai Village Authority, along with the Kuki community, expressed its strongest condemnation and outright rejection of the ultimatum reportedly issued by Khanuithot Khon, identified as the Voice of the Naga Youth. The statement alleged that the group had demanded that the residents of Shangkai village vacate their own land.
The authority termed the ultimatum as reckless and baseless, stating that it represents a deliberate distortion of historical truth and an irresponsible attempt to intimidate a peaceful community. It further stated that such propaganda reveals what it described as a dangerous mindset aimed at creating tension through fabricated claims and threats.
Clarifying the historical and customary status of the settlement, the village authority asserted that Shangkai is a Kuki settlement and functions as a hamlet village under Lamlai Chingphei. According to the statement, the land on which the village stands belongs to a Kuki landowner and, under established customary law, the land rightfully belongs to his legitimate heirs in perpetuity.
The authority strongly rejected the claim that the residents of Shangkai are “tenants” or “guests” on what has been described as Tangkhul ancestral land. It stated that such allegations are a blatant falsehood with no historical, legal, or customary basis.
The statement further described the ultimatum demanding the evacuation of an entire village as an act of open intimidation and a grave provocation. It maintained that no youth organization, pressure group, or self-proclaimed body has the authority to issue eviction threats over land that does not belong to them.
The Shangkai Village Authority also emphasized that the Kuki people have historically upheld peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among neighboring communities. However, it warned that peace should not be mistaken for weakness and affirmed that the people of Shangkai will not succumb to intimidation, propaganda, or fabricated narratives aimed at erasing their rightful presence on their ancestral land.
Calling for government intervention, the village authority urged the government and security agencies to take immediate and serious cognizance of what it termed an inflammatory and irresponsible statement. It warned that such provocations have the potential to disturb peace and communal harmony in the region.
The statement also asserted that any attempt to threaten, harass, or unlawfully challenge them will be firmly resisted at all cost. The village authority further stated that individuals or groups issuing reckless ultimatums and spreading what it called dangerous propaganda must bear full responsibility for any consequences arising from their actions.
