ZCNEI Reaffirms Zeme Unity, Protection of Ancestral Land, and Communal Rights
Source: The Sangai Express | May 4, 2026
The Zeme Council North East India (ZCNEI), one of the apex socio-cultural organizations representing the Zeme people across the Northeastern region, has adopted a series of far-reaching resolutions concerning Zeme identity, communal solidarity, ancestral land protection, and matters relating to the Asalu Zeliangrong Region in Assam.
The resolutions were unanimously adopted during a consultative meeting convened at the Women Hall, Jalukie, in Peren district of Nagaland on April 28, 2026. The gathering reportedly brought together leaders, elders, intellectuals, and representatives from various Zeme organizations and regions to deliberate on pressing socio-political and cultural issues confronting the community.
Resolution on Ancestral Land and Territorial Protection
A major focus of the consultative meeting centered on the preservation and protection of ancestral Zeme land and natural resources. The house firmly resolved that Zeme ancestral territory must be safeguarded under all circumstances from external encroachment, exploitation, and indiscriminate transfer.
According to the resolutions adopted, the council expressed grave concern over the increasing sale and transfer of large tracts of ancestral land to outside communities and private interests. The council emphasized that land among the Zeliangrong people is not merely an economic resource but an inseparable part of their historical memory, cultural identity, traditional inheritance, and sacred connection with their forefathers.
The house categorically opposed the establishment of villages within traditional Zeme ancestral territories by communities other than the indigenous Zeliangrong people. The council warned that any effort to alter demographic realities, distort historical identity, or weaken indigenous communal rights through large-scale land acquisition would be firmly resisted without compromise.
The resolutions reflect growing concern among many indigenous communities in Northeast India regarding land alienation, demographic changes, and the erosion of customary ownership systems that have historically governed tribal territories for generations.
Reaffirmation of Zeme Identity and Unity
The consultative meeting also strongly reaffirmed the need for unity and collective representation among the Zeme people. The house resolved that the Zeme community must remain steadfast, united, and resolute in representing itself in all forums, organizations, and institutions concerning community affairs.
At the same time, the council reiterated its commitment to preserving and strengthening the historical brotherhood shared among the Zeliangrong communities—namely the Zeme, Rongmei, and Liangmai peoples. The gathering emphasized that despite geographical and administrative divisions across Nagaland, Manipur, and Assam, the bond among the three cognate communities remains deeply rooted in shared ancestry, culture, oral traditions, and customary institutions.
The house further resolved to foster deeper harmony, mutual confidence, and enduring fraternal relations with Rongmei and Liangmai brothers in the spirit of Zeliangrong unity and cooperation.
Deliberation on Asalu Zeliangrong Region in Assam
Another important matter discussed during the meeting concerned the creation of the CAA NC Hills arrangement under the Asalu Zeliangrong Region in Assam. After prolonged deliberation, the house acknowledged the prevailing political and social grievances faced by sections of the Zeme and Zeliangrong people in Assam.
The council observed that the present arrangement should be understood as temporary and situation-based, arising out of prevailing circumstances rather than as a permanent political settlement. Nevertheless, the house urged all concerned individuals and organizations to cooperate with the Asalu Zeliangrong Region in a spirit of mutual understanding, unity, and collective responsibility.
The discussion reportedly reflected wider concerns over administrative representation, indigenous rights, and socio-political coordination among Zeliangrong-inhabited areas in Assam’s Dima Hasao region and adjoining territories.
Demand for Consultation in Community Matters
In another significant resolution, the ZCNEI asserted that the organization must be duly consulted on all matters affecting the Zeme community, whether involving the Government of India, State Governments, or Naga political authorities.
The council stressed that decisions concerning Zeme people, land, identity, customary rights, and political affairs should not be undertaken without the knowledge, participation, and consent of legitimate Zeme representative bodies.
This resolution appears to underline a growing insistence among indigenous organizations in the region for participatory decision-making and recognition of traditional institutions in matters affecting tribal communities.
Broader Context
The resolutions adopted by the Zeme Council North East India emerge against the backdrop of increasing debates across Northeast India concerning indigenous identity, customary land ownership, demographic anxieties, and inter-community relations.
Among the Zeliangrong communities, ancestral land is deeply tied not only to livelihood but also to clan history, sacred memory, migration narratives, and traditional governance systems. Consequently, questions surrounding land transfer and territorial protection continue to remain highly sensitive and politically significant.
The Jalukie consultative meeting therefore reflects broader efforts by the Zeme leadership to consolidate communal unity while simultaneously responding to emerging political, social, and territorial challenges faced by the community across Nagaland, Assam, and Manipur.