WOKHA, APRIL 19 (MExN): The Lotha Hoho (LH), Wokha today condemned the April 17 incident when Nagaland Police personnel assaulted Dr Mungshithung Murry during enforcement of the COVID-19 lockdown.
A press release from the Lotha Hoho Wokha Chairman, Mhondamo Ovung and General Secretary, Aben Ngullie said that it had held a consultative meeting on April 15 with the police and district administration where police were urged to maintain discipline while on duty during the lockdown.
“Policemen had chosen their profession on their own volition and that none had forced them to be policemen and the policemen are performing their bounden duty for which they are paid their salary. Hence the policemen cannot claim extra credit for performing their duty. The policemen had also taken oath to perform as policemen and hence the policemen are not doing any extra favour to anyone and hence there can be no claim for extra mileage by the policemen,” the Lotha Hoho said.
Regarding the incident, the Lotha Hoho said that according to witnesses and onlookers “the errant policemen were alcohol intoxicated.”“If the doctor had violated any lockdown rules he could have been arrested and tried as per the laid down rules; but definitely cannot be beaten up on the spot by the policemen,” it added.
It asked the controlling authority if the police has been empowered to “use force and violence to maintain COVID-19 lockdown.”
“The LH understands that the present COVID-19 lockdown and related problems are all of a human/social calamity and not a Law and Order problem and hence the policemen and all of us are together fighting a common enemy and it is stupid to fight among ourselves behind the battlefront. The policemen are therefore expected to assist, guide, protect and cooperate with the public and together to achieve the target of social distancing which is the main purpose of the lockdown,” it added.
While stating that the matter was “amicably settled,” the Lotha Hoho demanded that the concerned authorities identify all the involved policemen and take disciplinary action against them.
It also asked all policemen on duty to refrain from acting in an unruly manner and maintain discipline. “Any repeat of such inhumane behaviour by the policemen will not be tolerated by the Lotha public,” it stated.
