Mon-Charaideo peace body vows not to communalise crimes

MON – The Joint Action Committee (JAC) representing Nagaland’s Mon district and Assam’s Charaideo district has renamed itself the Joint Peace Committee (JPC) and resolved that crimes on either side will not be treated as communal issues.

The decisions were taken at a joint meeting on Nov. 3 at the Konyak Union office in Mon, hosted by the Konyak Union, according to a meeting resolution signed by JPC president Tingthok Konyak and secretary general Diganta Changmei. The members adopted 10 resolutions unanimously “in the interest of maintaining peace, harmony, mutual cooperation and cordial relations among all communities residing in the two neighboring districts”, the resolution said.

The resolution does not name the other organisations that took part in the meeting.

Joint Peace Committee leadership

The meeting appointed Tingthok Konyak as president and Diganta Changmei as secretary general for a 2026-2029 term, with effect from Nov. 3.

The remaining posts will be filled by nominees of the member organisations, whose names are to be submitted to the president or secretary general by Nov. 20, according to the resolution. The meeting also approved the committee’s official letterhead and seal, and said its logo and flag would be placed for approval at the next meeting.

Incidents to go to the JPC first

Under the resolution, any incident, misunderstanding or situation on either side “that may affect the relationship between the communities or districts” is to be “promptly communicated to the concerned officials” of the JPC first.

“All parties concerned shall exercise restraint and refrain from taking any unilateral decisions or actions without first bringing the matter to the notice of the JPC for necessary consultation and intervention,” it said.

On crime, the committee resolved that “any matter relating to crime or unlawful activities shall not be viewed, interpreted or treated as a communal issue”. Both sides would instead address such matters “in accordance with the provisions of law and established legal procedures”, and the committee would “discourage any attempt to communalize criminal incidents or disturb communal harmony”. Read Also Rs 3 lakh is not enough for the Dr T Ao Trophy

The resolution does not refer to any specific incident.

Meetings, ID cards and cultural centres

The other resolutions adopted by the Joint Peace Committee are:

• Meetings: a general meeting at least twice a year, once each in Mon and Charaideo. The president and secretary general may call special or emergency meetings on urgent issues.
• Identity cards: official designation ID cards for office-bearers and members, to be countersigned or authenticated by the district administrations of Mon and Charaideo.
• Cultural exchange: an annual cultural exchange programme involving communities from both districts, to be organised with the two district administrations and organisations.
• Konyak Ahng Morung and Tai-Ahom Cultural Centre: communities and organisations of the two districts are to allot sites for a Konyak Ahng Morung in Charaideo district and a Tai-Ahom Cultural Centre in Mon. The resolution gives no timeline or source of funds.
• Drugs: the committee resolved to “pressurize” the administration and police on both sides to “strictly monitor drug abuse and trafficking so as to mitigate unchecked flow of drugs”.

In its concluding remarks, the committee said it would serve as “a common platform for dialogue, consultation and peaceful resolution of issues affecting the people of both districts”, while safeguarding “the longstanding social, cultural and traditional ties” between the communities.

Background

Mon district shares its border with Assam’s Charaideo district. In August, the Konyak Union and the All Tai Ahom Students’ Union (ATASU) agreed at a meeting in Sivasagar to form a peace committee to settle border-related and other issues through direct dialogue, NENow reported. The Nov. 3 resolution does not say whether the Joint Peace Committee is linked to that body.

Response

Responses from the Joint Peace Committee on its member organisations, and from the Mon and Charaideo district administrations on the ID card and cultural centre proposals, will be added when received.