Wokha ‘total bandh’ peaceful on day one

Lotha Hoho serves 48-hr deadline to NSCN (IM) authorities, threatens to withdraw ‘support’ Our Correspondent Wokha, Dec. 18 (EMN): The ‘total bandh’ called for an indefinite period at Wokha by the district’s unit of All Commercial Vehicle Association (ACVA) on Monday passed off peacefully. Major Wokha-based organisations including ACAUT Wokha Unit, Lotha Eloe Hoho, Lotha Youth Hoho, Lotha Students’ Union, WDCC&I and WDEA supported the shutdown. The bandh has been imposed due to non-compliance of the ACVA’s demand by the erring NSCN (I-M) cadres who had failed to hand over some seized keys within the dateline (i.e. 16th Dec 2017) served by the association. All vehicular movement and all commercial activities in the district were paralyzed for more than 12 hours. Hundreds vehicles were restrained at Santsuphen and Chukitong, causing inconvenience to the passengers and travellers alike. Meanwhile, the Lotha Hoho on Monday held a meeting after which it requested the agitating truckers to call of the protest “on moral and humanitarian ground”. The ‘stand-off’, according to the Lotha Hoho, was unfortunate – considering the time of the year, with Christmas right around the corner. It resolved to issue a 48-hour deadline to the NSCN (IM) authorities of the region to return the seized keys. If the NSCN IM) fails to comply to the demand, it resolved, the organisation shall withdraw cooperation to the NSCN (IM). “The NSCN (IM) Lotha region and Lotha organisations have met twice, recently, on 5.9.2017 and 6.12.2017, since the NSCN (IM) is keen to improve relations with the Lotha people. The Lotha organisations had welcomed the gesture and took the initiative as favourable and sincere. “Hence let the gesture for improvement of relation be really meaningful and lasting, and let not any wayward action strain the relation between the NSCN (IM) and the Lotha organisations. The Lotha Hoho and all its frontal organisations request the responsible NSCN (IM) cadres to hand over the seized keys immediately, to avoid any misunderstanding or confrontation,” a statement from the Lotha Hoho read.