Mon, June 4 (MExN): Situation along the Arunachal-Nagaland border is reportedly very tense after a village feud occurred over the stealing of a pig by one of the villagers and the involvement of the 23 Assam Rifles who killed a villager.
It is learnt that a feud between two Konyak villages erupted after the reported killing of a pig by a villager on June 2 last which ultimately led to the killing of a villager by the Assam Rifles.
It is learnt that the whole incident occurred last Saturday, when one Lokhum villager killed a hog that had been destroying vegetables in his field. However, the killing of the pig angered Yunu villagers, who along with the help of the police and the 23 Assam Rifles under Khunsa district of Arunachal Pradesh, approached and attacked Lokhun village.
It is learnt that Yunu villagers reported to the 23 AR that Lokhum villagers had taken the pig to supply it to NSCN (IM) cadres stationed in the village. It is alleged that the 23 AR attacked Lokhun village the same afternoon at around 3 in the evening and shot dead a villager identified as one Akai Konyak while also apprehending another and beating up several others. Lokhun villagers asserted that neither the killed nor the arrested persons are involved in the ‘pig-stealing incident’ or belonged to the NSCNs.
Lokhun villagers, as evidence of the 23 AR involvement in their domestic affairs, produced empty cases of ammunition of INSCAS Rifles used by the AR to kill the villager. As for the arrested person, it is learnt that only after much negotiation between the DC of Mon and Khunsa, he was released.
Meanwhile, sources informed that the Arunachal villages in the border areas have evacuated in fear of reprisal from Konyaks, however, it is also learnt that VGs and platoons of 6th NAP Tizit have been deployed to normalize the tension in the area.
The Konyak Union has also condemned the incident and resolved to bring the culprit to book. The KU delegation, it is learnt will be visiting the area for peaceful solution with ‘Arunachali Konyak brothers.’
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