Dimapur, August 16 (MExN): Hundreds of torch-bearing women who embarked on an ‘on-the-spot’ assessment of the August12 shooting site at Godah-Phalang-Shakok range in Ukhrul district, returned this morning after meeting the local populace.
In the words of AS Dinah, president of the Tangkhul Shanao Long: “We were detained for 2 hours at the AR Gate at Shangshak and were denied free passage. As such, we were compelled to force open the barricade put up by the AR. Our main mission was to go and see the ground realities and lend our emotional support. We held interactions with the affected villagers and they were quite delighted. Since the incident took place, the villagers around the perimeter of the shooting site have undergone untold sufferings; even fearing for the worst to come as the firing continued unabated.”
According to reports reaching Ukhrul, intermittent firing is being reported till this afternoon in the area. So far, two bullet-ridden bodies of NSCN (IM) cadres have been retrieved. The corpses bore multiple bullet marks, torture wounds, shrapnel and machete cuts.
At 6 pm today, thousands of people, mostly women from the town converged at the Tangkhul Naga Long office where a torch rally was organized, followed by a public meeting at the TNL ground in Ukhrul. A four-point joint peoples’ declaration signed by frontal organizations of the district was also adopted in the meeting.
The joint declaration included demands for ‘immediate declaration of ceasefire in Naga areas outside present Nagaland state, immediate removal of the AR from Ukhrul district and befitting punishment to the AR personnel responsible for the killing. The joint declaration also “reaffirmed the peoples’ commitment to the peaceful and just resolution of the Indo-Naga issue and declared mandate and support to the Indo-Naga peace process currently underway between the GoI and NSCN as two entities”.
This rally witnessed one of the biggest attendances in recent times. An estimated 40,000 people attended the meeting. Dinah said, “Our message to the Government of India is crystal clear – we want peace in our land. We want AR to respect our sentiments. We are against any form of high-handedness and excesses. We also are against frisking in Ukhrul town by AR. It has unleashed untold fear psychosis in our land.” The district has relatively witnessed peaceful atmosphere ever since the Government of India and the NSCN (IM) entered into a ceasefire on 1st August 1997.
Ever since the August 12 shooting between the Assam Rifles and the NSCN (IM) cadres near Shakok, the womenfolk of the district have registered strong resentment against the incident terming it as ‘disturbing’ to the peaceful atmosphere of the land.
For the past few days, Ukhrul town has been witness to a series of ‘fire-torch’ protests initiated by women demanding immediate halt to firing by security forces.
To extend solidarity and also protest against violation of human rights by the AR, similar ‘torch’ rallies were held at all the four Naga district headquarters, tonight. The rally was called by the apex Naga organization in Manipur, the United Naga Council. The organization has also called a 48 hours total bandh in all Naga-inhabited districts with effect from August 17.
(Inputs from Aya A. Shimray, a Ukhrul-based Freelancer)
