Our Correspondent
Kohima | July 29
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio today said that the law and order problem in the state started with the Naga issue as a result of the ‘Naga leaders’ deviating from the main issue and misusing the mandate of the Naga people. He questioned whether or not the Nagas have given their mandate to be intimidated, threatened and extorted from. “If they are really working for the Nagas as they claim, they have to listen to the common voice of the Nagas”, he said, addressing the meeting on law and order, held at the Zonal Council Hall here today.
“Nagas should seriously ponder if our mandate is being misused by the different groups”, he asserted. Pointing out that today there are three factions each of the NSCN and the NNC “taxing” the Naga people, he asserted that this ‘taxation’ is not the mandate of the Naga people. The chief minister maintained that the law and order problem will destroy the Naga society if the Naga political issue is not solved soon.
Also, pointing out that the so-called ‘over ground’ Naga leaders themselves are divided, he questioned, “How can we ask the underground groups to unite when we ourselves are divided”. He asserted that unless all Nagas present a common voice, there can be no solution.
Acknowledging that the state capital, Kohima, is being heavily “taxed” by the various underground factions as well as miscreants and criminals, he suggested an effective system to check anti-social elements in respective colonies and wards within Kohima. Among some measures he suggested included deployment of respective police and administration officers to take responsibility of law and order in specific colonies and wards.
Rio also stressed on the need for change in attitude among the Nagas insisting that their fierce pride and lack of respect for law, and lack of discipline and civilized sense is presenting a bad image to outsiders. He insisted that the very word ‘free Nagas’ is a negative description of the Nagas as the freedom stressed here talks of ‘animal freedom’ and not that of civilized freedom.
Home Minister, Imkong L. Imchen, in his introductory remarks, stated that every departmental head has come under threat and been extorted and insisted that extortions, threats and intimidations have become intolerable. He asked the various colonies and wards not to allow underground cadres as well as criminals and anti-social elements to stay in their respective colonies and wards. He also made a fervent appeal to all to render support and cooperation to the administration and police to check anti-social activities. He also appealed to the Angami Public Organization (APO) to play a special role in maintaining congenial and peaceful atmosphere within Kohima district.
Also, addressing the meeting, senior Minister Dr. Shürhozelie Liezietsu, while pointing out that there are many who are falsely taking the name of the national workers to carry out their nefarious activities and creating law and order problems in hiding, lamented that whereas the people of the localities are aware of their activities, they tend to keep silent and allow them to carry out their criminal activities out of fear. He said to effectively maintain law and order, the cooperation of the citizens without any reservation is the ultimate necessity without which the government is helpless. He also advised that one should not forget our backgrounds and how our villages lived in peace in the past.
Speaker Kiyanilie Peseyie, while acknowledging that the situation has, by and large, drastically improved assured that the elected representatives of the people will give their best efforts to ensure peace. He, however, lamented that Nagas are creating problems within themselves and called for a collective effort to maintain congenial atmosphere.
Also, describing Kohima as a mini-India where all walks of life are converged, DGP K. Kire made a fervent appeal to the citizens to take the police and the administration into confidence and to report incidences that threaten to disturb the peace. Informing that there are at least a dozen other militant outfits from the Northeast that are extorting in Nagaland and creating law and order problems, he lamented that most of the victims of these extortions, threats and intimidations are not taking the police or the administration into confidence. He also stated that the question of underground or overground does not arise when it comes to crime and criminal activities and that those who harbor or give shelter to criminals will be equally liable for punishment as per the law. On a suggestion by the Chief Minister, he said the police force would explore means to assign officers to take charge of the colonies and wards.
The meeting, which was participated by leaders from all colonies and wards, officials from the district administration, police, KMC, APO, etc besides GBs and DBs of all the wards and colonies also adopted a 6-point resolution.
