Kohima, Sept. 2: Security forces and police were on high alert patrolling Dimapur after yesterday’s mob violence at Sixth Mile, which had claimed one life and injured at least seven.
The incident was a fallout of Friday’s incident at Kohima village where a youth was allegedly beaten to death by a quick response team of Kohima Village Youth Organisation.
The victim, identified as Kivika Sema of Keltomi village under Aghunato subdivision in Zunheboto district, was apprehended by the team while running away with a stolen bike.
Dimapur, the commercial hub of Nagaland, was closed for the second day today after some people imposed a bandh since yesterday morning.
The Dimapur district administration has clamped Section 144 and deployed paramilitary forces, India Reserve Battalion personnel and the police to thwart any further incident.
Over a dozen vehicles were damaged, two well-known resorts — Naithu Resort and Neoune Resort in the Sixth Mile area — were also vandalised in yesterday’s incident.
The two groups of people which clashed yesterday even fired at each other.
The state government has constituted a one-man inquiry panel to probe into the incident. But the Opposition Congress has demanded immediate resignation of chief minister Neiphiu Rio and imposition of President’s rule in the state for breakdown of law and order.
The Congress said Rio has outsourced law and order and illegal taxation in the state to NGOs like the KVYO, and the NGOs were taking the law into their hands, adding that such NGOs were not directly accountable to the people of the state and they should not take law into their hands.
Several Naga organisations have appealed to the two conflicting parties to remain calm and maintain peace and harmony.
Sumi Hoho president Hovishe Arka termed yesterday’s incident “unfortunate” and expressed regret over the action of some “misguided” youths who went on a rampage ignoring the appeals of the Sumi apex bodies.
The Naga Hoho, Naga Council, Ao Senden Eastern Nagaland Legislatures’ Union, Naga Students’ Federation, Dimapur Naga Students’ Union, and several other organisations have condemned the death Kivika as well as the sudden bandh of Dimapur, appealing to all to maintain peace in the region. Dimapur-based Naga organisations also convened a joint meeting today to restore normality so that it does not affect the day-to-day activities of the people. The meeting condemned yesterday’s violence and urged all communities to maintain pea-ce and harmony in Dimapur.
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