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Thevoma-Semoma path dispute |
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COPY OF TOUR DIARY OF J.H. HUTTON, ESQ., I.C.S., DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, NAGA HILLS, FOR THE PERIOD FROM 3RD JUNE TO 9TH JUNE, 1917. |
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I had had on Saturday night a deputation first from Thevoma that Semoma were re-building their dahu, then from Semoma that Thevoma would not let them re-open their path. As the Gaonburas of neither side turned up I thought it was probably a mare's nest but it was not safe to leave it, so on Sunday morning I sent one pony ahead and rode out. I left at 7.50 and got to Khonoma by 10.5, spent an hour and a half there, and got back by 2.0. What had happened was that when I was last out at Khonoma, I was shown what had once been a path leading from the houses near the fort to the lower, and then vacant, part of the village. This path which went through a Semoma quarter was blocked by debris from the old Semoma dahu which was pulled down by Mr. Scott, and as it was obviously desirable, if not necessary, to reopen the path when the deserted sites were reoccupied, I had said that this path might be cleared by Semoma. Semoma stretching the orders to the utmost, were clearing a carriage drive and throwing the loose earth on the open space where the dahu had been and Thevoma interpreted this as rebuilding the dahu. I gave orders for the levelling of the piled up earth, which Semoma readily undertook to do, and marked out the limits of the path and showed Semoma where to put the rest of the earth removed from it. I don't think there will be any further trouble on this particular point. All the same I am getting rather tired of Khonoma. I should think that there hasn't been a day since May 13th, when I found them waiting for me half the way to Nerhema, that I haven't had some Khonoma man or other hunting me about something. |
