Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, April 28: Tension gripped the tiny village of Sihai in Manipur’s Ukhrul district on Sunday morning when security forces apparently tried to evacuate the ‘southern command’ of NSCN (IM), according to a report in the Guwahati-based news portal Northeast Now.
“… (Sihai) villagers were surprised when a team of Assam Rifles personnel were approaching the village on Sunday and were apparently planning to evacuate the NSCN (IM) camp in the area. The Tangkhul frontal organisation leaders immediately arrived at the spot, and tried their best to douse the tension as the Assam Rifles jawans were almost caught face-to-face with the Naga Army members at Khamasom village,” it reported.
The civil society leaders intervened immediately as they did not want any confrontation that could derail the ongoing peace process between the Naga group and New Delhi, according to the report.
“The villagers in the area were worried with the movement of the Assam Rifles column in the area on ‘holy’ Sunday, and on that day, the villagers spend most of their time in the churches.”
Sihai village is located in the northeast corner of Manipur’s Ukhrul district, and is very close to the Myanmar border. The village is about 37 km north of Ukhrul town, and is connected partially by National Highway 150.
