Thanamir Village Council, Thanamir Village Citizenship and Thanamir Village Students’ Union have strongly opposed the claims of Saramati as the land of Tikhir in Tikhir Students’ Union’s (TSU) anthem.
In a joint press release, Thanamir Village Council, Thanamir Village Citizenship and Thanamir Village Students’ Union stated that in the fourth line of the first stanza of Tikhir Students’ Union’s anthem, it was mentioned as, “Langkong-Shamator, tong Saramati vong kyan” in translation as “from Langkong- Shamator to Saramati mountain” as Tikhir’s land.
“It is imperative to state that, Saramati (ancestral name as Meramkhanvong in Chirr dialect) particularly falls under the jurisdiction of Thanamir village, which is the inhabitant land of Chirr speaking populace of Yimkhiung Naga Tribe who are the sole land owner and custodian”, it stated.
The joint press statement said that historically, Mt Saramati was named as Meramkhanvong in Chirr dialect by their early ancestors who discovered the peak, but later it was renamed as Mt. Saramati.
They said that any Naga tribes can use the name of Mt. Saramati in common nomenclature and to which the joint council strongly opposed the using of the name in encroaching of the jurisdiction/territory or claiming it particularly through any means of writings and compositions.
The joint council strongly repelled the claims of the Tikhir Students’ Union and directed the TSU to omit the word Saramati from the anthem before commencing the 43rd Session of Tikhir Students’ Union which is to be held from January 11 – 14 at Pokphur Village.
They warned that resulting in any untoward circumstances through this composed anthem would invite strong repercussion from the land owner and the Yimkhiung tribe in general.