Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 15
The 59th Independence Day at Tuensang with Minister for Transport, Imtilemba Sangtam as Chief Guest could not go as planned in the designated venue after the Chang public and students reportedly spearheaded by the Chang Khulei Setshang (CKS) forcefully obstructed the celebration from being held at the local play ground, it was reported through official sources. The Minister ended up unfurling the National Flag at the premises of the Deputy Commissioner’s official residence in the presence of the DC, Superintendent of Police and senior government officials.
According to sources, the CKS was peeved by a Cabinet order passed recently giving the green signal for creation of a DIS post at Tobu, considered as ‘disputed’. Significantly, the Chief Minister’s radio broadcast on the eve of Independence Day had also mentioned about the government creating three new DIS offices in Niuland, Tobu and Chiephobozou. Sources in Tobu have meanwhile informed The Morung Express that the DAN government has gone ahead and inaugurated the new DIS office at Tobu. It was informed that Deputy Speaker of the Nagaland Legislature Assembly EE Pangteang formally inaugurated the DIS office today.
Sources in the Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organization (ENPO), which has been entrusted both by the CKS, Konyak Union (KU) and also the State Government for resolving the Tobu issue, have also expressed disappointment over the manner in which the Cabinet had ‘hastily’ taken the decision to create the new DIS post at Tobu without looking at the ground situation and more importantly at a time when the process for settling the long-drawn Tobu conflict was making positive headway under the aegis of a Special Committee on Tobu appointed for the purpose. ENPO sources also pointed out that they had recommended to the government for shifting the Tobu ADC headquarters to another location in Mon jurisdiction to pave the way for a permanent settlement of the Tobu imbroglio between the Chang and Konyak community.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Lalhuma has stated that the “extreme action taken by the Chang public and the students spearheaded by CKS in obstructing the Chief Guest from unfurling the national Flag on Independence Day was a serious offence.” “Hence you are informed that the government will take appropriate action as per law against those who are found to be responsible”, Lalhuma stated in a letter addressed to the President of CKS and further added that the government of Nagaland has viewed the matter seriously as the Independence Day celebration is a national programme to which every citizen has a right to attend.
That the government was taking the Tuensang incident seriously was further reinforced after the government immediately directed Additional Chief Secretary & Commissioner and DGP to immediately call for explanation from DC Tuensang and SP Tuensang as to why the Independence Day celebration at Tuensang headquarter could not be held as scheduled. V. Sakhrie, Secretary to Chief Minister informed that the two senior administrative and police office official from Kohima will submit a detailed report to the State Government before August 17 for examination of the government and also for fixing responsibilities on the officers concern if any lapse is found on their part.
Revoke Cabinet order: CKS
DIMAPUR, AUGUST 15 (MExN): The Chang Khulei Setshang (CKS) in the eye of the storm for allegedly obstructing the Chief Guest from unfurling the national Flag on Independence Day at Tuensang today has now clarified its position by maintaining that public sentiment had been hurt by the irresponsible action of the DAN Cabinet to create a DIS Post in Tobu at a time when sincere negotiation over the disputed area was underway. CKS General Secretary Ayen Chang told The Morung Express that the decision of the State government in this regard amounted to applying a policy of ‘divide and rule’ and demanded that the Cabinet order be revoked if it wanted to save the situation. He said that the CKS will take other necessary measures until the order was revoked and status quo maintained.
The CKS leader also said that earlier, the ENPO had submitted in clear terms to the Chief Minister as to why the decision to create a DIS post in Tobu should not be carried out at this juncture and that the government had disregarded even the decision of the ENPO in this regard. The CKS leader also clarified that the situation in Tuensang had been tense following the Cabinet order and that the public of Tuensang were unwilling to relent on the issue. Ayen clarified that initially the public of Tuensang had decided to boycott the I-Day function as a way of non-cooperation but at the last hour the CKS decided to impose a bandh to prevent the situation from further deteriorating.
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