Kohima, November 23 (MExN): The Kohima Village Youth Organisation (KVYO) has lauded the timely response by the State Government regarding use of “controversial words” to justify the shifting of Hornbill International Rock Contest (HIRC) from Kohima to Dimapur.
“Security related Issues” was too unpalatable for KVYO in particular, and for every law abiding resident of the capital, the organisation President Medozhatuo Rutsa and General Secretary Ruokuoneitso Kire stated in a press release.
Following the outcry from many quarters, especially from KVYO, the Chief Minister’s Office, on November 19, retracted and expressed regret over an earlier press statement which cited “the flagrant traffic problems and security related matters” as the reason for possible shifting of HIRC to Dimapur.
The KVYO also noted that even the mention of “traffic congestion” was confounding since both Kohima and Dimapur face the same problem.
It was never the KVYO intention to raise any objection to the shifting of HIRC or any Hornbill related activity in general to any part of our state by the government, but the earlier excuse “defiled our image and nullified all previous sacrifices,” the release further maintained.
For the record, Kohima has hosted all previous editions of HIRC and other events successfully without any breach of security and the Nagas have never been known for ill-treatment of their visitors and guest, it said.
In this regards, the KVYO said that state government, of all institutions, should never again give false negative and whimsical labels to places and people.
“KVYO wishes that people and communities imagine themselves in our place and understand why we couldn’t remain silent and swallow an insult upon our community publicly for a mere Rock concert!,” it added.
With CMO finally retracting the statement and ‘clarifying’ upon the matter, the KVYO lauded “the chief minister in particular for his maturity and all those upright government servants, honest public leaders of Kohima as well as others and a very supportive public who stood with KVYO when Kohima the capital was falsely labeled in national and state media unjustfully.”
The KVYO further wished the HIRC a grand success and assured its humble cooperation to the district and law enforcement agencies for any Hornbill festival related activity that “might be held in our area as it was in the past.”
