Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, AUGUST 2
After two nights in the captivity of GPRN/NSCN, inside the outfit’s designated camp at Khehoi, the secretary of ACAUT and also the president of EDBA, Solomon L Awomi, was released Saturday afternoon.
The release, which came into effect at around 2 pm on Saturday, was preceded by an undertaking – a bond of agreement – signed between the GPRN/NSCN and Solomon L Awomi. All this was completed in the presence of members of Naga Women Hoho Dimapur and village/colony gaunburas/elders from Purana Bazaar, Padampukhuri and Naharbari.
Members of ACAUT, who had also sought to get inside the designated camp, were denied entry. The contents of the “bond of agreement” were not made available to the press.Inside camp Khehoi, prior to his release, Solomon said his act of signing the agreement was not a result of force or pressure exerted by the GPRN/NSCN. “Whatever happened, it was because of a misunderstanding. And I will take it positively,” he told an audience comprising members of GPRN/NSCN, NWHD and village/colony gaunburas/elders from Purana Bazaar, Padampukhuri and Naharbari.
In a brief announcement, an official from the GPRN/NSCN said the release of Solomon was not an outcome of “any pressure from any organizations” but solely because they had arrived “at an understanding” and on humanitarian ground.
Later in the afternoon, ACAUT Nagaland termed the “detention” of Solomon as “a gross violation of Human Rights” and demanded to know on what grounds the GPRN/NSCN had detained him. “We want to know the reasons why he was detained. They have to specify the reasons.”
Addressing a hurriedly called press conference, members of ACAUT Nagaland reminded the GPRN/NSCN that they were setting a very dangerous trend by detaining someone based on allegations hurled by some unidentified members of the public.
“Leveling charges based on any complaint by any (member of the) public, without substantiating the identity of the accuser, is not acceptable to ACAUT. We want to know exactly who those (members of) ‘public’ are – who have complained to the GPRN/NSCN,” an ACAUT member said.
According to ACAUT Nagaland, some of the representatives of NHWD and village elders had sought the reason behind Solomon’s detention from one “top functionary” of the GPRN/NSCN. He retorted by saying “do you want Solomon or the reason (behind his detention). Choose either one.”
ACAUT Nagaland reminded the GPRN/NSCN that if the outfit “claims to be a government than it should come out with an explanation.” It accused the GPRN/NSCN of resorting to the use of “fear tactics by repressing individuals.”
An ACAUT member pointed out that even if Solomon was spared of any physical harm, damage has been done to his psyche already. He called it a “psychological warfare”, introduced by the GPRN/NSCN.
ACAUT Nagaland reminded that every decision it makes is a collective one. “ACAUT stands for equality, liberty and freedom. And from today no individual (ACAUT member) will visit any camp even if they are summoned. They have to report it to ACAUT and then only we will decide whether to comply or not.”
ACAUT Nagaland also reaffirmed its directive to the HoDs and DDOs of Nagaland not to deduct salaries of government employees to pay taxes to the NPGs. “It is still valid and if they are caught or reported doing so, we will file FIRs against them,” it warned.
On the de-recognition of ACAUT by the GPRN/NSCN, members of ACAUT maintained that “it is their (GPRN/NSCN) problem.” ACAUT, the members said, was not started seeking recognition from any group or organization.
They reiterated that the ACAUT movement would continue to be a people’s movement.
