As the international community watches the progress of the Indo-Naga Peace talks which has by-passed 15 years with their fingers-crossed amidst the much acclaimed Naga Reconciliation process which seems to be providing most of the logical answers to the bewildered onlookers, including the Indian civil society and democratic movements, the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) is rudely shaken by the seemingly insignificant notification of the Dimapur Deputy Commissioner, who is also the District Magistrate, asking “the public to bear with the inconveniences”, to enable the Army 3 corps Rangapahar Military Station to conduct “impressments” of civil vehicles on September 29 & 30, 2012. And that this exercise will be carried out at Dillai Gate (Diphu Road), New Field Check Gate (Golaghat Road) and Assam Riffles training Cenre (ARTC) area leading to Kohima. This means all entry and exit roads to and from Dimapur city will be cordoned and every civil vehicle (read all non-military vehicles which means Government vehicles as well) will be stopped, drivers and occupants will be interrogated and the army will requisition any vehicle of their choice.
Needless to say that this may be only a kind of a mock-drill of “requisitioning civilian vehicles for use for a full-scale war”, similar to what the Disaster management departments are carrying out from time to time in case of earthquakes, tsunami, devastating fire and other natural or man-made calamities. But the question is why this is being done at a time when peace is echoing from hills to valleys in all the Naga areas barring sporadic incidences which does not qualify the notion of a war. The situations during the past decades have been much worse, but that too did not demand the Indian Army to conduct “Impressments of Civil Vehicles”. So why now? Why the signs of war at a time when peace is being negotiated?
And therefore, NPMHR condemns this act of “Impressments of civil vehicles” and question the Government of India to explain to its citizens the motives and intents behind carrying out this exercise which will not only throw the normal life of its citizens into jeopardy in the next two days but will instil fear and abominations in the days to come. NPMHR also expresses its deepest resentment over the manner in which the district administration has notified its citizens in a lightning circular without giving sufficient time for people to understand with preparedness. Peace must not be controlled by guns nor must the military in the guise of security be allowed to run roughshod over civilian codes and normal conduct of life. In the event of any untoward incidents taking place during this exercise, the state administration and its law-enforcing agencies will be held accountable for undertaking such an alarming exercise with a lackadaisical attitude.
Issued by Naga Peoples Movement
for Human Rights
.JPG)
