The Eastern Sumi Hoho (ESH) in an official letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Chief Minister of Nagaland, dated 1 December, stated its desire to the Government of India to maintain the status quo to live under Nagaland if the demand for Eastern Nagaland is considered by the Centre.
The ESH is an apex civil society organisation of Sumi inhabitants of Eastern Nagaland.
This letter comes ahead of the meeting between the ENPO and ENLU with the central government regarding their demands for Frontier Nagaland.
“It is pertinent to state that historically Sumi tribe prominent existence in Eastern Nagaland since time immemorial is not only a historical fact but encompasses both political and social scenario from the time the region was un-administered area,” the ESH stated in the letter.
It further said the Eastern Sumi tribe remained free from the control of outsiders even during the British era and “continued under the administration of Tuensang Frontier Division of the then North Eastern Frontier Area (NEFA 1945-1956) and Naga Hill Tuensang Area (NHTA 1957-1962)” and under Tuensang District since the formation of Nagaland state in 1963 till date.
The ESH mentioned that the 26 villages under Aghunato area of the then NHTA (Tuensang District) were “bifurcated and placed under Mokokchung district in Zunheboto Sub-Division (presently Zunheboto District)”.
It continued: “The status of the rest of the Sumi tribe in Eastern Nagaland remains unchanged and we have been co-inhabitants of the region together with other tribes.”
As per the 2001 census the total population of Eastern Sumis in Eastern Nagaland was 18,410, the letter further stated.
The ESH stated that the Sumi tribe “had played a major role” in the establishment of Tuensang headquarter in 1947 and of Kiphire Town in 1952.
“Shri Zuhovi of Khumishi village (the then Naga hills Tuensang area (NHTA), Tuensang district presently under Aghunato Sub-Division) was the Dobashi (DB) who represented Sumi Tribe along with four other DB,” the ESH noted, while adding that the head Dobashi of Kiphire Town was Chehozu Sumi of Natsami village.
The ESH, in the letter, then gave a brief description on the representation of the Sumi tribe when under the Regional Council system in Tuensang district.
It stated that Tuensang district was “brought under the administration of Regional Council” when the state of Nagaland was formed on 1 December 1963.
The Regional Council nominated six members to be represented in the Nagaland State Assembly. N Zhevito Sema (Sumi), who represented the Sumi tribe of Tuensang district in the Regional Council, was elected by the Council to become a member of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly in 1969.
Under the Regional Council system, between 1964-1974, Vikheho and Kughaho were Area Council chairmen of Sitimi Area Council while Sukuto, Sukhahe and Khehoyi were Area Council Members, noted the ESH.
The letter then highlighted that prior to the upgradation of Kiphire Sub-Division to a district, “sumi land, topography and population” were very crucial for demarcation of Kiphire District and thus, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between United Sangtam Likhüm Pumji (USLP), Yimkhium (Yimchunger) Tribal Council (YTC) and Tuensang District Sumi Hoho (TDSH; now Eastern Sumi Hoho) was signed.
According to the ESH, the MoU was signed by the three tribal bodies in the following manner: “With mutual agreement to adopt modalities specified in several clauses in the Memorandum, particularly agreeing as to share equal opportunities within the three signatory Tribes, respect and honour each other’s respective traditional values and to strive towards the peaceful co-existence amongst each other.”
The MOU was officially submitted to the Government of Nagaland through a letter dated 13 August 2003 and Kiphire Sub-Division became a district.
The ESH claimed that the “Sumi tribe of Eastern Nagaland populace, census, topography, demography are being incorporated” in the ENPO’s demand for statehood.
In this regard, the Eastern Sumi Hoho in a general meeting held on 25 October at Nikiye village, Kiphire had “unanimously resolved” that the Sumi tribe of Eastern Nagaland would continue to be part of present Nagaland “socially, economically, politically, administratively”.
The Eastern Sumi appealed to the Central government to “protect the interest and uphold the desire and aspiration of the Sumi Tribe of Eastern Nagaland to continue to live under the jurisdiction of the present Nagaland state.”
“Our choice to remain with the present Nagaland state is to be respected and honoured in the event the ENPO demand is considered by the government of India,” the letter concluded.
