The Nagaland cabinet has approved the creation of Shamator district today. In this regard, the Home department said that the cabinet in its meeting held today took note of the resolutions adopted in the Joint Consultative Meeting between the Yimkhiung Tribal Council (YTC) and Tikhir Tribal Council (TTC) held on January 13, 2022 wherein it was decided unanimously by the YTC and TTC to support the up gradation of existing Shamator sub-division to a full-fledged district, and further it was agreed by the YTC for recognition of Tikhir tribe as a separate Naga tribe, according to a Home department statement issued late tonight.
The statement said that the cabinet was also apprised of the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by the YTC and TTC today in the morning, wherein, in the interest of maintenance of peace and harmony, undertakings were given that no coercive measure whatsoever shall be adopted by any of the member of Yimkhiung community to ensure retention or reversion of any member of Tikhir community to Yimkhiung community, or vice versa, in the event of recognition of Tikhir as a separate Naga tribe.
“Undertakings were also given that every member of Tikhir or Yimkhiung community, wherever they are, shall have freedom to choose the community to which he/she belongs, and further, the subject of any issue / dispute between the members of the two brother tribes should be localized and resolved through customary laws and practices and status quo will be maintained,” the statement of the Home department also said.
The cabinet thereafter invited the presidents of YTC and TTC along with other tribal representatives to the meeting to share with it the details of the understanding reached between them. “The two tribal councils appeared before the cabinet and informed of the agreement reached between them on all the issues which were lying unresolved for long,” the statement also said. “The cabinet deeply appreciated the hard work and sincere efforts made by leaders of both the communities for overcoming their differences amicably, and reaching consensus on all the issues,” the statement added.