Diphu, November 11 (MExN): Even as various Naga national groups assert authority over the region, Rengma Naga civilians in Karbi Anglong, Assam, are feeling the heat. On November 10, the Gorkha Regiment of the Indian Army, allegedly without knowledge of the Assam Police and without a warrant, raided the house of Khenga Rengma, a former president of the Rengma Naga People’s Council, the apex body of the Rengma Naga people in Karbi Anglong, Assam. The house, located in the remote Khanari village, was allegedly raided and searched on “vague information” and without awareness of the Superintendent of Police, East Karbi Anglong. Nothing was found; the raid and search termed “illegal” by Rengma Naga apex bodies. The incident brought to fore other such incidents. Since October this year, the Indian Army’s Gorkha Regiment, under Chokihola Police Station has been conducting house searches throughout the Rengma Naga villages in Karbi Anglong and beating youth up in the process. This was informed in a press release from the Rengma Naga Students’ Union (RNSU) and Rengma Naga Cultural Society (Diphu Zone) that met on November 10 to discuss and condemn the “human rights violations” that have been going on in the Rengma Naga areas in Karbi Anglong since October this year. “These activities came to light when some of the Rengma villagers were thrashed and tortured with the false information of possessing illegal arms… A complete house search was witnessed from Jongpha to Borlangso (Tseguchangri) village in October. This week, the same treatment was meted out to villagers of Phangcherop to Khanari village, where some Rengma youths, while returning from the paddy fields, were brutally tortured,” stated the press release. Some of the beaten youth informed that they were shouted questions and remarks in Hindi, which they could not understand, following which the Indian Army personnel beat their shins and knees with sticks. The youth are currently getting treatment in Silonijan. “Human rights violation is felt and we request the law and order department to please look into the matter seriously in the future,” maintained the RNSU and RNCS (Diphu) while thanking the SP, East Karbi Anglong for his “cooperation on the issue.” Rengma Ngada Meanwhile, the RNSU and RNCS (Diphu), through the press release, informed that the Rengma community in Assam will observe their annual Ngada festival on November 28. The organizations appealed to all social and political organizations in Karbi Anglong district to refrain from calling bandhs on or before November 28 “as it is an auspicious day of the Rengma Nagas.”
