Selithre Sangtam
Dimapur, Feb 13 (MExN): Family members public leaders and organizations and colleagues of the departed officer 9th IR Assistant Commandant Lt. Sarhotho, NPS, who fell to a landmine blast along with two Naga jawans in Chhattisgarh recently, resented what was widely held as motherly treatment of the state government in not conducting a state funeral service, benefiting the supreme sacrifice made by the soldiers. Various public organizations expressed their grave displeasure to the Government of Nagaland.
At the funeral service for the officer, various speakers opined that if the State government and the Central government cannot provide the Naga IRB with anti- landmine equipments, anti-guerilla war equipments and logistical supports to fight the Moaist guerillas, then the 9th IRB should be withdrawn from Chhattisgarh immediately.
Also, if the Naga IR battalion are to be deployed outside Nagaland, then the State government along with Union Ministry of Home Affairs should immediately confer paramilitary status pay and perks like the Assam Rifles, BSF, ITBP etc and likewise training, equipments and logistical support system befitting a full-fledged paramilitary to the 9th IRB and other Naga IR battalions be made.
The public organizations and the speakers at the funeral also demanded separate Naga IR Battalion officer cadres through NPSC or deputation from Army and other paramilitary forces. They pointed out that the NPS officers were recruited and trained only for civil policing and normal law and order duties and that NPS officers were not recruited and trained in the first place to fight an all-out guerilla war in Chhattisgarh some 3000 plus Kilometers away from home.
It submitted a memorandum with the following demands to the Chief Minister in this regard: declaration of February 8 as “Martyr’s Day” of the Naga IR battalions. The Nagaland Police has its own Martyr’s Day; that the bereaved family of Late Assistant Commandant Sarhotho NPS should be given a petrol pump station as compensation from the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. This initiative should be done at the earliest by the State government
It was also noted that the relievers of four officers in the rank of Assistant Commandant have not yet joined the Battalion .At present there is a shortage of four officers in the rank of Assistant Commandant ( including one due to the death of AC Sarhotho ) 5 ABIs ( Inspectors) and an equal number of ABSIs. This is a serious charge and Nagaland Home Minister, Police HQ, and the Chief Minister should explain to the families of fallen soldiers and to the public of Nagaland ( as political patronage and nepotism by the politicians seems to have led to this sad state of affairs for the 9th Naga IR Battalion), it was expressed.
