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punitive expedition to Sema village of Nungtang |
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Relations with Tributary States and Frontier Affairs |
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Susu fined for forcibly taking a slave from Sibsagar district |
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On the 28th the party marched via Mongsembi (Boralangi) to Susu, where several feuds had to be settled. A halt was made on the 29th and deputations from Borolangi, Dekha Haimong, Naogoan, Alibar, Kalingmen (Longtari) and Molong came in. Against the village of Susu a serious charge was made, to the effect that they had forcibly carried off a runaway slave from Namtidol mauza, in the Sibsagar district. The facts of the case were as follows:- A slave by name Chipta, the property of Miri Chiba, of Susu, escaped some four or five years ago, and took up his residence in the Namtidol mauza in Sibsagar, where he married a woman of Kanchung. In December last the Susu men, obtaining information of his whereabouts, carried him off by force. The Susu men, in reply to the charge, said - "We bought the slave many years ago; he escaped, and we could obtain for a long time no information as to his residence. Latterly, the Namtidol men told us that he was living with them, and if we did not come and take him, they would sell him to Kanchung. On hearing this, we went and carried him off, but he ran away soon after his return to the village, and is now living at Mamchang. Subsequently, we sent his master, Miri Chiba, with a present of 30 gongs to try and get him, but he failed in inducing him to return." The value of a slave is Rs.100 so in order to test the accuracy of the fact of Chipta's absence from the village, the headmen were given the option of returning him or of paying a fine of Rs.200. They at once stated that it was out of their power to get him back, and paid the fine. During the course of the day the Deputy-Commissioner enquired into the causes of feuds amongst the villages Kalingmen, Lungchang, Naogoan and Lungchang, and in every instance it was ascertained that both parties were equally at fault. They agreed to abide by the Deputy-Commissioner's decision, and promised that they would live in peace with one another from henceforth. On the 30th January the party reached Bor Haimong and met with Colonel Clarke, as has been already described. |
