Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 4
THE GOVERNMENT has given time to the public of Shamator to hand over firearms as well as the perpetrators of the killing of a policeman recently, by today, January 4. Nagaland Planning Minister Dr Shürhozelie Liezitsü, said the state’s machinery would wait “for at least today” for the arms and culprits to be handed over to authorities.
Maintaining that the situation was being kept under control, he told The Morung Express that the government would “hold” control over the state of affairs. The minister added that meetings with respective leaders of the Tikhir and Yimchunger tribes would also be held.
Additional Chief Secretary and Commissioner, TN Mannen, when contacted, said authorities would be compelled to resort to needful measures if Shamator does not comply with today’s deadline.
The Commissioner informed: “I am told that last night Shamator villagers had tried to prevent Police and the administration from entering the gate of the village.” In the process some firing is said to have taken place, after which the villagers fled for fear of reprisals. It is learnt that the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and the Eastern Naga People’s Organization are exploring a process to bring “some sort of understanding.” On yesterday’s clash which resulted in a casualty, a senior Police official said that those who confronted with Police were “not exactly UG.” He said an escalation in violence was not expected. An additional company of the IR is also being deployed in the area. No word on the present deployment of paramilitary forces has been received. The aura surrounding the area, though, is reported to be “tense but under control.”
A number of high-ranking officials from the administration and Police are camping in Shamator to rein in normalcy.
Now no more conferences without permission
DIMAPUR, JAN 4 (MExN): Henceforth, any conference of a single tribe or clan, whether social, student or religious “shall not be allowed without specific written permission from the competent authority, the concerned Deputy Commissioner especially in such controversial towns like Pungro, Shamator, Tobu and so on.”
Passing the above directive through an office memorandum Nagaland’s ACS and Commissioner, TN Mannen, notified that any such conference or gathering held without due permission would be considered unauthorized and unlawful, thereby attracting penal provision.
The directive comes into force with immediate effect until further orders and Deputy Commissioners of respective districts are to circulate the same to all tribal Hohos.
The instruction is passed keeping in view the occurrence of frequent clashes along the lines of tribes or clans “resulting in not only loss of goodwill among man” but loss of life and property. “It is observed that every festive season is marred by such likely clashes occurring frequently creating more enmity and disunity amongst the various Naga tribes/sub-tribes,” Mannen lamented, and as such, the directive is passed to ensure that “such likely clashes are avoided to the minimal, if not completely eradicated.”
