EMN
Dimapur, February 24
Chief Minister TR Zeliang today lauded the peace initiatives of the Eastern Naga Public Organisation and the Eastern Naga Legislators’ Union to bring about a peaceful atmosphere among the various tribes in the eastern parts of the State.
Interacting this afternoon at his residential office in Kohima with a delegation of 7 members from the ENPO led by its Vice President Sashi Naga and senior legislator C.Kipili Sangtam representing the ENLU, the Chief Minister appealed to the tribal bodies to cooperate with the law enforcing agencies to apprehend the perpetrators of the dastardly killing of a married couple on February 6 last between Shamatore and Kiphire which led to tribal unrest between the Sangtams and the Yimchungers. Thousands of families were displaced and many more students were affected.
The chief minister also urged all the tribal bodies to disband armed groups which were reportedly kept by different tribes to protect them in times of need.
Having such armed groups ostensibly to protect the tribes is a very dangerous phenomenon and should be disbanded henceforth, the chief minister said to which the delegation clarified such a disbanding or armed groups was decided upon at the ENPO meeting at Longleng in May 2015. The delegates however said such a resolution would be reiterated very shortly in the days to come.According to Media Cell, CMO, the ENPO representatives have been meeting various tribal bodies in their area urging them to cooperate with the government and law enforcing agencies in apprehending the perpetrators of the killings and assured the chief minister of all cooperation towards their endeavor.
Perpetrators will be caught and tried according to the laws of the land no matter whether they are militants or insurgents belonging to any group or tribe as murder is a crime and will not be condoned in any manner, the chief minister said.
The delegation leader Sashi Naga told the chief minister that both the Yimchungers and the Sangtams were unanimous that the culprits be arrested and brought to book without further delay, and that the ENPO leaders have also convinced the tribal bodies not to serve ultimatum to the government giving specific time limit to bring the culprits to book.
He however, expressed the general feeling that the Special Investigation Team constituted by the government in the aftermath of the tragic killings was dragging its feet on the issue.
The delegation also briefed the chief minister on the ground reality in Pungro sub-division where it was found out that 219 households were destroyed affecting a population of 1362 persons out of which 456 were students and 119 were government employees, and that it was imperative that the Disaster Management Agency grant relief and aid. The chief minister replied that since this a man-made disaster, SDMA, which has to do with natural calamities and disasters, may not be the appropriate authority to intercede in this matter.
On rejection of the Rs one lakh grant-in-aid to the next of kin and government employment, the chief minister said, he himself cannot do anything to increase the amount since it was the standard practice of the government to grant such an amount. He also pointed out recent Quit Notice served to some villagers in Peren district resulting in displacement of hundreds of people and that even after the notice was revoked the affected persons were yet to relocate. He said uniform treatment should be given to all, and partiality cannot be the norm.
The chief minister reiterated that no one has the license to kill and that the guilty, no matter what their political or tribal inclinations or affiliations are, will be dealt with as per the laws of the land.
