Dimapur, Jan. 3 (EMN): The Rengma Selo Zi (RSZ) and the Rengma Students' Union (RSU) have announced an ‘indefinite bandh’ to be imposed from Jan. 3, 6 am onwards in support of the Rengma community’s demand for Tseminyu district.
According to a press release on Tuesday, the Rengma youth and students' union during its emergency meeting held on Dec. 31, 2017 resolved to impose the total bandh within its jurisdiction as endorsed by the Rengma Hoho and its frontal organisation.
“When Nagaland attained its statehood in 1963, different districts were established out of political necessity and nothing else. Therefore, the state government cannot cite any excuse and deny the legitimate rights of the Rengmas. Our Rengma demand is genuine and deserving and need no further justifications nor do the government need any mechanism to measure and authenticate our demand, as all other districts created in the past were based on priority and on political necessity, and as such the government should not hesitate to take the decision.
“The state government should not confuse the people by talking about criteria when each and every district in the past has been created on the basis of political exigency and even if criteria is (sic) to be cited, Tseminyu district fulfils every criteria over and above the required. It is irking that despite the state government being notified earlier of our demand through a memorandum submitted by the Rengma Hoho, the state government should brush aside our Rengma sentiment without as much as a glance. The Rengma youth and students community feel that such attitude and action of the state government is nothing but wanton suppression of our people,” it stated.
It thus appealed that the demand for a separate Rengma district should be fulfilled before the announcement of the state assembly election due to be announced ‘within days failing which the bandh may even extend for months’.
“To make known our extreme displeasure, the two organisations may even ask its lone elected MLA to resign from the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) since the utter disrespect accorded to Rengmas whose contribution both before and after statehood is unparalleled is indigestible.
“The Bandh will have 3 designated camps supervised by Nodal officers along with volunteers in all the Camps. The Rengma Hoho office at Tseminyu town will be the Control room under the supervision of the chief controller, the president of the Rengma Selo Zi (RSZ) and assisted by RSU officials. It also warns all business establishments that no stockists should create any unnecessary harassment by way of hiking the price of the commodities on the pretext of the ongoing bandh.
“As such it would like to make the general public aware that there shall be no shortage of commodities and therefore the public should not panic as the struggle for our genuine right continues.”
Exemptions have been made for personnel of district administration, police and paramilitary force, medical units, fire brigade, press and media; and “wedding procession, funerals procession, church organizations on convention and conferences”.
