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Relations with Tributary States and Frontier Affairs |
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Semas; punitive visit to Seromi |
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32. The relations between the Sema villages, bordering on British territory, and villages within the settled district were, with one exception, friendly. The exception was a case in which there was a sudden fight in May 1888 between two parties from the Lhota village of Nangatang and the Sema village of Chelokisami, who were engaged in fishing in the Dayang river. A number of men on either side were wounded and according to the story of the Chelokisami men, who came in to Kohima to complain, one of their men died from the injuries which he received. The Sub-divisional Officer of Wokha was deputed to enquire into the case, but under some misunderstanding, he exceeded his instructions and decided it, finding Chelokisami entirely in the wrong and imposing upon it a fine of Rs.175 which was realised. This decision was not confirmed by the Deputy-Commissioner who reserved it for re-investigation during his Sema tour. The case was accordingly pending at the close of the year. |
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A visit was paid to the village of Seromi in January 1889 by the Deputy-Commissioner on his return from the Mazung expedition with the object of dispelling certain ideas of the power of that village and the inability of our Government to deal with it, which had arisen from its not having been called to account for an attack, or rather attempted attack, on the expeditionary force engaged in the Sema promenade in 1887 at Lukovomi. An additional reason for visiting the village was to put an end to a series of murders which it had been committing on the inhabitants of the Ao village of Langsa. Langsa is not a political control village and has no claims on the British Government except through its kinship to the cis-Dikhu Ao villages which had taken alarm at the increasing prestige of Seromi and feared raids on themselves. Notwithstanding grandiloquent boasts made by the Seromi men, their submission was complete when a force of 100 men was led against them and a fine of ten cattle imposed on them was paid up at once. The headmen promised to cease raiding on Langsa and since then, no cause has been given for complaint. |
