Published Paper Details:

Indigenous systems of governance and justice continue to play a crucial role in regulating social life among tribal communities in Northeast India. Among the Mossang sub-tribe of the Tangsa community of Arunachal Pradesh, the traditional village council--known as Kha-pho-Rung--functions as the principal institution of governance, dispute resolution, and social regulation. Composed of the village headman (Gashung-liwang), elders, and individuals well-versed in customary law, the council derives legitimacy from long-standing customs rather than codified statutes. Despite its centrality in Mossang society, Kha-pho-Rung remains largely undocumented in academic literature. This paper examines the structure, authority, and functioning of the Mossang traditional village council, with particular emphasis on its mechanisms of dispute settlement and the nature of justice it delivers. It further analyses the continued relevance of Kha-pho-Rung in the context of state expansion, formal judicial institutions, and modern legal frameworks. Drawing primarily on oral narratives, field observations, and secondary literature, the study highlights the restorative and community-centric orientation of Mossang customary justice and underscores the need for greater scholarly engagement with indigenous legal institutions in Arunachal Pradesh.