Call for carving out alternative administrative district HQ inclusive of all Yimchungru inhabited areas of Tsg & Kiphire districts
Dimapur, August 18 (MExN): In a significant yet unexpected development, the Yimchungru Tribal Council (YTC) has written to the chief minister of Nagaland pointing out that the Yimchungru people will not be able to remain within Kiphire district. As an alternative, they have demanded a separate administrative district headquarter. In a memorandum to the chief minister written on August 16, 2010, the YTC while demanding for a separate district headquarter for the Yimchungru tribe also wanted that it should be “inclusive of all the Yimchungru inhabited areas of Tuensang and Kiphire district.”
The YTC memorandum was signed by Kius Chuba Yimchungru, working president and Tokiu S. Yimchungru, general secretary. The memorandum also demanded that all the Yimchungru employees of Nagaland government posted at Kiphire be transferred out immediately and also proper direction and order be issued to various educational institutions elsewhere ‘to accommodate the displaced students.’ The memorandum stated that the Yimchungru residing in Kiphire town had already fled to neighbouring villages for shelter and the “possibility of their return is not in sight”.
The memorandum also mentioned that the state road show-Medumnio festival at Pungro which was scheduled to be held August 6-8, 2010 was cancelled due to law and order situation created by the (United Sangtam Likhum Bumji) USLB in Kiphire. The YTC has requested the government to keep the proposed road show-Mongmong festival scheduled to be held in Kiphire be kept in abeyance till the issues are resolved. The memorandum stated that the demands were being made “for redressal so as to avoid any unwanted situation that may arise”. The YTC wanted action taken on the demands be communicated within August 25, 2010.
Earlier in the memorandum the YTC alleged that the USLB had always been disrupting peaceful gathering of the Yimchungru community at Pungro during various occasions.
This the YTC stated was done in the most undemocratic way and also in violation of the memorandum of understanding which was signed on August 4, 2003 by the USLB, YTC and Kiphire District Sumi Hoho (KDSH) besides local elected members of the Nagaland Assembly at the time of the formation of the district headquarter.
It was also claimed by the YTC that the “suppressive activities of the Sangtams” had reached a point of “unbearable and intolerable situation”. According to the YTC during the recent crisis thousands of Sangtam youths armed with various deathly weapons including sophisticated fire arms created a war like situation targeting the Yimchungrus. The YTC claimed that the administration and police posted at Kiphire remained helpless to the extent that even the ADC barely escaped the fury of the Sangtams leaving behind his official vehicle completely damaged.
“Such action of the Sangtams not only spread terror and panic but also caused permanent fear and apprehension to the Yimchungrus compelling them to flee for their lives”, the memorandum stated. The YTC noted that it was unlikely that normalcy would be restored “even as the administration and police present in the district continue to remain mute spectators so also the concerned authority has not questioned them for their inability to contain the situation”.
The YTC claimed that there was no sign of the presence of law and order and rather the while town was ruled by “armed Sangtams resulting in utter anarchy”. As such the memorandum stated that the concerned authority would ont be able to provide adequate security and protection to the Yimchungrus at the work places, educational institutions and their respective residences. Further it claimed that in all aspects, the Yimchungrus under Kiphire district had been deprived of all kinds of privileges and facilities ignoring the MoU signed on the eve of the formation of Kiphire district. As such the YTC also stated that due to the “facts and circumstances” mentioned above, the Yimchungru people were hereby rescinding and withdrawing from the MoU and that it would not be able to remain within Kiphire district.
