Nagaland: How clashes at Maova village expose long-standing tensions

What began as a proposed dialogue on a February morning in Maova village ended in flames, shattered homes and deepening mistrust between neighbouring communities in Nagaland’s Chümoukedima district.

The village witnessed clashes, fires, injuries and the destruction of homes and shops: an incident that has since exposed deeper tensions over land, authority and coexistence in the Chathe Valley area.

As per official accounts by the Dimapur Police, by 9:30 am on February 13, district authorities were alerted that members of the Chakhroma Public Organisation (CPO), apex tribal body of the Chakhroma Angami community and one of the four ranges under the Angami Public Organisation, along with its affiliated youth bodies were heading to Maova village under Medziphema subdivision for a meeting with village leaders.

The Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) of Medziphema, accompanied by police personnel and Dobashis, moved to the village to prevent any breakdown of law and order.

The police revealed that the gathering was engaged in heated arguments when they arrived at the venue. What followed was widespread destruction. According to the police, the confrontation turned physical around 10:30 am.

Sticks and chairs were reportedly used as weapons. Stones flew from multiple directions. Within minutes, the gathering had swelled into a crowd of nearly 2,000 people, overwhelming the limited security presence.

In the chaos, the EAC and two security personnel were injured. A Nagaland Armed Police (IR) jawan suffered a serious head injury after being struck by a stone and was rushed to the hospital. Despite the intensity of the violence, no deaths were reported.

But the physical toll on the village was severe. Nine houses and three shops were vandalised. Eight shops, a community hall, a youth office and an under-construction council guest house were set ablaze. As flames engulfed buildings, more than 30 LPG cylinders exploded in succession. Twenty-one vehicles, including both two-wheelers and four-wheelers, were damaged, with three completely torched.

Reinforcements led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police from Chümoukedima, along with fire tenders, arrived as the situation deteriorated. By 11:30 a.m., authorities reported that the violence had been brought under control. Security forces remained deployed, and normal traffic resumed.

Different accounts of the same day

In the aftermath of the violence, competing narratives emerged from the parties involved, each presenting its own account of how events unfolded.

In a situation report submitted to the Additional Deputy Commissioner, Medziphema, the CPO stated that its leaders had gone to Maova village to hold a dialogue with the village council following long-standing complaints from landowners regarding restrictions on development activities and alleged intimidation.

According to the CPO’s account, the organisation had earlier served a notice to the Maova Village Council on December 2, 2025, asking it to refrain from what it described as illegal construction on disputed land. The CPO claimed that no official response was received before the deadline and that its leaders, accompanied by youth volunteers, visited the village on February 13 to seek clarification and resolution.

The report alleged that upon arrival, the delegation was met with aggressive behaviour and that stones and batons were used against them. “The CPO President was pushed around by Kuki miscreants and had to be pulled to safety by our volunteers. Due to their belligerent attitude, and in defence of Chakhroma leaders, youth volunteers retaliated,” the CPO reported.

According to the CPO’s account, the escalation of the situation led youth volunteers to call for reinforcements from nearby villages.

Upon the arrival of additional volunteers, it was observed that some individuals had taken shelter inside a shop and at the residence of the Gaon Bura (GB).

The CPO stated that reports of injuries to the administrative official and police personnel further heightened tensions among the volunteers, following which they entered the GB’s compound. During the ensuing disturbance, several vehicles were damaged.

The CPO further stated that a shop was set on fire during the incident, resulting in multiple LPG cylinder explosions, although it said the exact cause of the fire could not be determined.

The organisation also alleged that certain residents of Maova village appeared to have stones, batons and catapults prepared in advance, and raised suspicions that additional materials may have contributed to the intensity of the fire, though this has not been independently verified.

Village authorities, however, rejected allegations of a pre-planned attack and maintained that the village council had not received formal prior notice of the visit.

As per the Maova Village Council (MVC), what began as a private land dispute between individuals from Maova, one Sobu Rio, and the Chathe Prayer Centre was deliberately escalated into a large-scale attack against the entire village.

Addressing a press conference after the violence, Maova Village Council chairman Sutminlal Vaiphei said the council came to know through reliable sources that a large number of people, reportedly in the thousands, were approaching the village.

He stated that many residents had already left for work by that time and that, as the purpose of the visit was unclear, village authorities, as a precautionary measure, contacted some youths over the phone and asked them to remain available. According to him, about 20–30 youths gathered in the area.

Vaiphei said discussions aimed at resolving the issue were underway at the residence of the Gaon Bura (GB), in the presence of the Extra Assistant Commissioner (EAC) and a Dobashi, when a scuffle suddenly broke out along the roadside.

Village leaders and officials rushed to intervene, but the situation quickly escalated, leaving several people injured.

He denied claims that villagers had attacked police or administrative officials, stating that the community had itself sought the presence of the administration for protection. In the confusion of the confrontation, he said, it could not be clearly established who attacked whom.

Describing Maova as a small village, Vaiphei said residents were outnumbered as the violence intensified, and that village youths and women also sustained injuries. A local pastor who attempted to intervene reportedly suffered minor injuries as well.

He further stated that when shops were set ablaze during the incident, he had alerted those nearby about the LPG cylinders stored inside to prevent further harm. 

During the press conference, the leader also said that Maova had no connection with developments in Manipur, referring to ongoing tensions in the neighbouring state and that it is not related at all. In this regard, he appealed to the public not to communalise this issue or mix it with the Manipur issue. 

Later, the council claimed that the Chakhroma Public Organisation, formerly known as the Chakroma Union, was established with the involvement of Subedar Khupjalet Kuki as its first chairman, adding that this historical association reflected earlier cooperation and shared ties between the communities.

History resurfaces

A document dated July 31, 1995, surfaced on social media, purporting to be a declaration signed by Kuki leaders on behalf of the Kuki community living in the Chakhro Angami area. The document references settlement permissions, token rents under Angami customary law, and pledges to abide by decisions of “land owners”.

As per the document, Maova village was “permitted” to be established by Tsüüma village among six villages permitted by various Chakhroma Angami villages.

“That in recognition of land ownership, we shall continue to give the token rent annually to the respective village landowners as per the Angami-Naga customary law and shall not dispose of or sell the land now under our occupation without the consent of the landowners,” a section of the declaration read.

In the declaration, the leaders also stated that no fresh Kuki community from other regions would be allowed to settle in the six Kuki villages, and that any committee authorised by the Chakhro Public Organisation (now Chakhroma Public Organisation) could verify or check new arrivals to uphold the declaration.

The chairman of the Maova Village Council, however, said that the 1995 declaration was not related to the present land issue in Maova, describing it as unrelated to the ongoing dispute.

Escalating demands:

Meanwhile, the Chathe Valley Landholders Union (CVLU), under Tsüüma Village jurisdiction, said the incident reflected the “long-standing issue with the Maova Village Council’s blatant disregard for the rights of the Naga people, perpetuated through the enforcement of the so-called Kuki customary law.”

In a statement, the Union alleged that since the 1990s, Naga landholders in the Chathe Valley area had faced restrictions, harassment and obstruction in developing their properties, which it attributed to the enforcement of what it described as a “ unique Kuki customary law.”

The CVLU said it had formally submitted multiple complaints to the administration and local law enforcement agencies. Subsequently, on November 24, 2021, the Dobashi (DB) Court at Medziphema passed a judgment directing that developmental activities and settlement by any individual or group should not be obstructed. However, the Union claimed that the issues persisted despite the ruling.

The CVLU further stated that, in view of what it described as continued tensions and difficulties in peaceful coexistence, it had suggested that the Kukis of Maova village consider relocating to another area as a means to restore peace and harmony.

The Union also called on the Government of Nagaland and relevant authorities to take what it termed immediate and decisive action to safeguard the rights and interests of Naga landholders and to ensure that justice is served.

The CVLU further stated that, in view of what it described as continued tensions and difficulties in peaceful coexistence, it had suggested that the Kukis of Maova village consider relocating to another area as a means to restore peace and harmony.

The Union also called on the Government of Nagaland and relevant authorities to take what it termed immediate and decisive action to safeguard the rights and interests of Naga landholders and to ensure that justice is served.

On February 16, 2026, the Chakhroma Youth Organisation issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Maova Village Council, directing its chairman and certain individuals to appear before CPO leaders within seven days for “necessary clarification and settlement”. It warned that failure to comply could invite action under customary law.

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