A Staff Reporter
DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 4
The office of the NSCN (IM)’s Ceasefire Monitoring Cell here in Dimapur turned into a protest ground on Friday morning when residents of Eralibill village – along with the council leaders of five neighboring villages – gathered outside the office with placards to demand the release of a 60-year-old woman “abducted” by the NSCN (IM) UT-I command.
The protestors were led by the Joint Council Forum, which consists of the five villages of Eralibill, Ekranipathar, Aoyimti, Dobagaon and K Hollohon. The woman, (name withheld) who is a resident of Eralibill village, was abducted by three NSCN (IM) cadres from her home on Thursday last, at around 4.30 pm.
She was taken to the office of the NSCN (IM) UT-I located in Sovima village where she was questioned by the CAO and later transferred to the outfit’s “jail” somewhere inside Sethekeima village where she spent the night. She however said that the NSCN (IM) cadres at the “jail” treated her very well.
The genesis of the story lies in a land dispute between one “major” Among Tikhir of the NSCN (IM) and his estranged wife. Some years back, the couple had purchased a plot of land from the victim at Eralibill village.
According to the victim, she had also tendered her signature when the wife approached her to finalize the deal with a land “patta.” Reportedly, the wife – now separated from the husband – had sold the land to another buyer.
This prompted the NSCN (IM) functionary to demand the victim to append her signature on another land “patta” for the same plot of land, to which she declined. The demands were made repeatedly, and declined each time, she said.
Subsequently, Among referred the case to the NSCN (IM) UT-I, she said. According to her, the CAO had asked her why she was not willing to tender her signature to the “second” land patta. “I told him that since I have already signed earlier, I won’t do it again.”
She was released at around 1 pm on Friday. The Joint Council Forum reiterated that any case/dispute arising within their jurisdiction must be settled by the respective councils. They also stated that it was unacceptable to the council for anyone to come and “capture” the residents at their will without the permission of the councils.
Requests from the reporters to meet the NSCN (IM) functionaries, after the release of the victim, at the Ceasefire Monitoring Cell office were politely declined.
