DIMAPUR, JUNE 16 (MExN): The decision to expel a number of citizens from Seyochung village has elicited a possible backlash, with 3 Sumi public bodies today warning of retaliation if physical force or harm is inflicted on the villagers who have been given a deadline to leave.
The All Sumi Students’ Union, Kiphire District Sumi Hoho and the Kiphire District Sumi Students’ Union in separate press statements reiterated that ‘Sumis will never surrender our legitimate rights and compromise our customs, traditions and identity.’
The district’s Deputy Commissioner has also come under flak for ‘conspiring’ with the Seyochung Village Council in issuing the “quit notice” to, as the Sumi bodies clarified, “26 Sumi households and not 26 individuals.”
“The Deputy Commissioner, Kiphire is liable to answer as to why quit notice was served to Sumis in connivance with the law enforcement agency. The fact is that Deputy Commissioner deputed three Sangtam Dubashi (DB’s) including two from Seyochung village” to attend the June 12 meeting, when the decision to expel the citizens within 7 days effective from June 13, was made, the Sumi organizations from Kiphire stated.
The KDSH and KDSSU has also warned the district administration “for total breakdown of law enforcement agencies” in providing security to the Sumis who were placed under “house arrest”, despite the lodging of reports “several times.”
The All Sumi Students’ Union has also strongly protested the “wisdom of the Deputy Commissioner, Kiphire for his impartial judgment…and the Sangtams of Seyochung for their gross violation of human rights, where the Sumis living in Seyochung Village were denied water facilities with an intention to cause silent death, and kept under ‘house arrest’.”
‘Rectify or dismantle controversial gate’
Student bodies of two communities today urged upon the Deputy Commissioner of Kiphire to either ‘rectify’ or dismantle the “controversial” welcome gate erected at Ngoromi Village, which lies on the boundary of Kiphire District.
The All Sumi Students’ Union and the Yimchunger Students’ Union say the inscriptions of the words “Welcome to Sangtam Land” on the gate and also the depiction of Sangtam traditional wear on the top of the gate “has hurt the sentiments of two communities since Kiphire district is mainly inhabited by Sumi, Sangtam and Yimchunger.”
The students have appealed to “Sangtam brothers for rectification, acceptable to all the parties, and the same has been assured by the honorable Parliamentary Secretary C Kipili Sangtam.”
To the DC, the student bodies said failure to rectify or dismantle the gate would compel the Sumi and Yimchunger communities “to go to any extent for redressal”, and called for upholding the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the three communities prior to the formation of Kiphire district.
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