TR Zeliang lauds Dobashis role in preserving cultural heritage

Deputy chief minister T.R. Zeliang acknowledged the significant contributions of Dobashis in preserving the cultural heritage and promoting social cohesion.
Addressing the plenary session of the 22nd triennial conference cum 63rd anniversary celebration of Nagaland Dobashi Association (NDBA) at Mokokchung, Zeliang highlighted the historical role of Dobashis during the British colonial era, where they acted as translators and facilitators between the British administrators and the local Naga population.
He highlighted the special provisions granted to the Nagas under Article 371(A) of the Constitution of India, emphasizing the importance of protecting Naga customary laws and practices.
He said Dobashis plays its role in the traditional justice system and societal governance, emphasizing their importance in resolving disputes and promoting community peace.
Zeliang also underscored the importance of Dobashis in preserving Naga culture, ensuring justice and maintaining social harmony.
He also referred the proposed “3 tier system” structure for the Dobashi Court system in Nagaland. This system, he said was designed to provide accessible and culturally relevant justice said. The three tiers includes; Village Council/GB Court: The first level of the system, where local disputes and issues can be resolved within the village or town by the Village Council or GB (Gaon Bura) Court.
The second level is the District Dobashi Court, which handles more complex cases that cannot be resolved at the village level and the third and highest level is the DB Apex Court at the state level, which would be equivalent to a Supreme Court for the Dobashi system.
Zeliang suggested that the NDBA can establish this system by constituting Research Committees to collect written Customary Law from each tribe and draft a basic copy of Naga Customary Law.
This draft can then be submitted to the state government for discussion in the Legislative Assembly and potentially passed as an Act, he said.
The programme was led by NDBA vice president Lungrahei Herie while short speech was delivered president Nagaland GBs Federation and president Ao Senden.