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to Henima; damage by elephants; Lakema murders; Kachha-Kuki tension; relations with Manipur; fines |
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15th-16th. Halted Henima. Visited fort, hospital and school and spent two days trying cases, most of which were obviously the result of the prevailing shortage of cash and would in ordinary times not have come into court at all. There were many complaints of the damage done by elephants. From 1912, when I first came to this district, down to 1929, when I last left it, elephants had not been known to cross to the east of the Kohima - Keshangbung bridle path, and almost up to 1929 had never been seen anywhere near that path. There is now a herd or two and some odd animals down east of it in the Barak valley. Elephants have been coming up this way since Mr.Milroy's big keddah operation in the N.C. Hills. The Kukis are still perhaps a little nervous of the Kachha Nagas, and very bitter indeed about the Lakema murders. All the Kuki heads of villages south of Paona came up together to know what I was going to do about it, demanding virtually anybody's head on a charger rather than none. |
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The guard here is rationed for a month, and punishment rice was anticipated to ration it through the rains, but the I.O. reported that he was unable to collect it, and when he visited some of the villages from which it is still due he found that they had no rice and in some cases had only water to drink. This is the last stage a Naga village reaches for want of cereals, as grain is kept for brewing when the staple diet has already degenerated to wild yams and jungle roots of any kind. The I.O. is a Kuki and knows the country and what he reports only confirms what I heard and saw for myself. I have therefore given orders that no more punishment rice is to be taken until I pass orders to that effect. It will mean sending rations from Kohima and therefore more impressment, which I do not like at all, but which cannot at present be helped, as I fear it is too soon to withdraw the guard, though Political Agent Manipur says that as far as the state is concerned the guard at Henima is no longer required. The raingauge has been fenced with a high fence which must keep some of the rain out of the trap. The height of this fence ought to be reduced by half. The bungalow roof is getting rusty and should be tarred. |
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Orders must issue in the form a parwana to the effect that those exempted from house tax are also exempted from punishment rice, except gaonburas and ex-gaonburas. |
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A copy of Political case No.7 of 1932 should be sent to the I.O. in command of the out post. |
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New Tolbung village has been paying revenue at a penal rate since it moved its site. This was perhaps hardly intended in the orders as there was no splitting up of the village apparently. Its rate is accordingly reduced to the usual one. |
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Renewed many gun licenses here. |
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One or two persons came for passes to visit villages in Manipur. Passes are not usually required for Kachha Nagas crossing the boundary, as their relatives often live across it, but they tell me that anyone coming from this side is apt to be arrested in Manipur if he has no pass. We do not interfere with their people who come to Kohima for salt etc., and possibly it is time the ordinary transborder communications can be left alone now without interference. |
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Nehanramei came to ask for their guns back, I said they need not bother to ask again until the Lakema murder was cleared up, on which they went straight home. They probably know who was in it, so do Bopungwemi, and Perenmi MUST know. |
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Punglomi (Tehema) brought money instead of punishment rice to Henima. The I.O. made it over to me. I will see them about it on my way back. The distance was probably the reason. I understand that Punglomi took no part in the Gaidhiliu agitation except that of permitting two men of Perenmi to kill a small pig in the village in her honour and of failing to report it to Kohima. |
