Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 9
The Wokha district administration on October 9 promulgated Section 144 Cr PC—barring assembly of more than 5 or any public meeting—in Wokha town anticipating miscreants to sabotage a silent procession.
The Lotha Students’ Union (LSU), Lotha Eloe Hoho (LEG) and All Nagaland Private Schools Association (ANPSA), Wokha, nonetheless, carried out a small procession on “unethical and illegal treatment meted out to a student in uniform” on October 3.
The three civil society and citizens’ groups gave a memorandum to the DC Wokha urging the protection of students in uniform and condemned the student’s “arrest and assault.”
While the memorandum appealed the district authorities to initiate “immediate investigation” to “ensure that speedy justice be delivered in this present case,” they also called for “putting in place a mechanism for ensuring protection of students in uniform by the law enforcing agencies as well as by all concerned authorities.”
‘Blatant use of power’
Wokha citizens have contested and condemned the “blatant use of power and force” by the Deputy Commissioner (DC) and District Magistrate of Wokha who promulgated Section 144 of the CrPC on the entire stretch of NH-2 from Wokha Welcome Gate till Tourist Lodge Wokha, and all the areas and stretch of roads under 15 wards of Wokha Town from 6:00am till 2:00pm.
In a press statement issued on Monday, LSU President Lipemo M Tsopoe, LEH President Mhonchumi Humtsoe and ANSPA Wokha unit representative Mhonyamo Ngullie, gave a 72 hours deadline to the district administration to highlight through print media the following: The process by which Section 144 Cr PC was promulgated during a silent procession of students, teachers and women folk, all details regarding apprehension of violence, reports of intended violence, and all such details so associated in arriving towards the decision for imposition of same, disclosure of all details of order and directions, if any, received from external sources/higher ups for imposition of same and why the curfew was only on the student community but not on the general public of Wokha town.
Without a “satisfactory response,” the bodies have stated that “the Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Wokha shall be held solely responsible for insulting the Lotha students community in particular and Lothas in general by using illogical conclusions for curbing the rights of citizens.”
According to the DC Wokha, the situation in the town was such that allowing the procession would have resulted in violence. With reports rife of a possible sabotage of the procession, the DC said that the prohibitory order was imposed “keeping in mind the safety of the people, including students, who were to take part in the proposed rally.”
The DC also informed that his office received the memorandum jointly submitted by representatives of the LSU, LEH and the Wokha unit of the ANPSA around noon today.
Police action
Meanwhile, the Wokha police are continuing to investigate a case relating to the assault of the minor on October 3. The case has been registered under IPC sections 363 (kidnapping), 342 (wrongful confinement), 337 (causing hurt by endangering life), 352 (assault) to be read with section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act.
Nine people have been apprehended in this regard till now.
“From here on, we will take full care of the child and make sure he recovers as well as goes through proper education,” said a representative of the Child Welfare Committee, Wokha.
The Wokha District Child Protection Officer also confirmed that their unit has visited the child and compensated his medical expenses to the tune of Rs. 25,000.
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