• ACAUT Nagaland launches signature campaign in protest
• Police attempt to prevent campaign at Clock Tower area
Morung Express News
Dimapur | December 13
ACAUT Nagaland on Tuesday launched a signature-protest campaign and vigil near Clock Tower demanding the unconditional release of its three leaders Joel Nillo Naga, Simon Kelio and Hukiye Aye who are in judicial custody.
The three ACAUT members were arrested on charges of “criminal trespass” after a counter FIR was filed against the ACAUT team for raiding two privately owned godowns in Dimapur on December 9, from where it was allegedly diverting rice meant for Public Distribution System into the open market by repacking the rice in synthetic bags. ACAUT had originally planned to stage a “Jail Bharo” at the various police stations in Dimapur to court arrest as protest against the arrest of their leaders.
However, on Tuesday, after a meeting, ACAUT members along with Concerned Citizens of Nagaland (CCN) changed tactic and assembled at Clock Tower for a poster-signature campaign only to be prevented by the police from going ahead.
The police told the ACAUT members that Clock Tower has been restricted for such gathering by the District Administration after the March 5 lynching incident. The intention of the police appeared to be more as the ACAUT members were even restricted from displaying the banners at the NRL station adjacent to the Clock Tower.
There were tussles when the police tried to seize the banners and posters from the ACAUT members. Asserting that they had every right to stage peaceful and democratic protest anywhere, the ACAUT members refused to relent and took their stand.
The ACAUT members also questioned the legality of the police in trying to suppress the freedom of expression, to which the police resorted to their standard response that they were acting on the “orders from the higher-ups.” While there were already more security forces than the ACAUT members at the site, more reinforcement of IRB personnel and riot team geared with tear gas were requisitioned.
The police tried to justify the reason for their opposition on the contents in the posters, which also mentioned the names of the alleged accused Tinku Sethi and Nirmal Jain in bad light. They maintained that this was unlawful and would “invite defamation.”
To this, the ACAUT members reminded that it was not the duty of the police to posit on defamation or to speak for the innocence of the names mentioned in the poster. If defamation was to be an issue for the mention of names of the alleged accused, the onus lies with the court of law to pass judgment and not the police, one ACAUT member pointed out.
Apparently, in what can be termed as a win over on the right to hold peaceful demonstrations, after a lengthy tussle and lengthier arguments with a number of police officers, countless of phone calls to “higher ups,” the ACAUT team were finally allowed to hold the protest campaign at the NRL station.
However, out of the seven posters that were put up by ACAUT members, the police had seized five of them. Earlier, volunteers tried to attempt a lightening closure of shops in part of Dimapur.
Meanwhile, ACAUT Nagaland has appealed all concerned citizens to join in support and participate in the signature campaign, which will continue till the three ACAUT members are released.
Of facebook lions and keyboard warriors
Apparently, social media in Nagaland is not going to usher or bring in any changes, as far as the case of ACAUT is concerned.
On Tuesday, the poster campaign initiated by ACAUT Nagaland witnessed a negligible turnout of youths coming in to support the cause. This after ACAUT had called out for support to almost all the social media platforms to join the poster campaign.
ACAUT enjoys a big following in social media, particularly on its fight against corruption and the changes it is trying to bring.
Despite the appeal for support trending in most of the social media platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp with impassioned pledges of support, on the ground level at the Clock Tower, the attendance was low.
The negligent turnout despite the thousands of show of support online had many to remark with disappointment that majority of the bloggers are only “keyboard warriors,” “facebook lions” and “social media warriors.”
One blogger wrote-things need to go offline and start walking on the streets. “People are only facebook warriors…at the spot but less people…come and show your solidarity,” another blogger appealed in a post made be an ACAUT member. “There are more policemen than protestor…” read another comment. Still eons to go for a Tahrir Square like social media revolution.
