Kohima, Jan. 27: The Naga Regiment (164 Territorial Army) has set a unique precedent here by boycotting Republic Day along with a group of students and rebel groups.

The regiment’s contention was that they were not put at the head of the parade contingents during the celebrations at the Secretariat Plaza here yesterday.

The Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation (ENSF) and the NSCN (I-M) had also called a bandh yesterday as part of their R-Day boycott.

Assam Rifles, too, boycotted the parade at Dimapur without citing any reason for its action.

Kohima superintendent of police Tetseo Chakhesang said the regiment had asked the Republic Day preparation committee to maintain protocol and refused to be the second parade contingent after Assam Rifles, the oldest force in the Northeast that has been guarding the eastern frontier for over a hundred years.

He said the 164 Territorial Army had also not come on time to take part in the parade rehearsals. “They turned up for the rehearsals on January 20,” he said. The rehearsals had begun on January 18.

“They lodged a compliant on the final day of rehearsals, saying they wanted to be placed first,” he said adding that it was not possible for the state government to change the contingent sequence.

Chakhesang said despite the fact that they had explained the situation to an officer of the regiment, it had refused to take part in the parade, which was unfortunate as Republic Day and Independence Day are national days.

The regiment had complained that protocol should be maintained, as Assam Rifles were not an army unit but a paramilitary force.

Asked whether the state government had viewed the issue seriously and informed higher authorities, Chakhesang said he was not aware of any such action while admitting that the issue was serious.

In Dimapur, Assam Rifles did not take part in the parade for undisclosed reasons. But according to sources, it did not want to take part in a parade that was being led by civilian authorities like police.

In the meantime, the state government has also taken strong exception to the ENSF bandh call that paralysed the Republic Day celebrations in districts like Mon, Kiphire, Tuensang and Longleng. After ministers were barred from entering the four districts, the respective deputy commissioners had to unfurl the Tricolour and take guard of honour. The students also barred the public from participating in the celebrations.

The students had imposed an indefinite bandh in the four districts in protest against the state government’s teacher recruitment policy.

The state cabinet, which met last evening at the chief minister’s official residence, strongly resented the developments and termed the bandh call as “most unreasonable and disproportionate” to the issue.

The ENSF had boycotted Republic Day despite strong assurances by the government to look into their demands.

Legislators from the four districts had convened a closed-door meeting at a hotel in Dimapur with the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), the apex body of the four districts, after the state cabinet asked them to do so urgently. The ENPO has also demanded a separate state for the four districts,which the state government termed as unreasonable as it would lead to more divisions in Naga society.