Uneasy calm in Kohima, curfew lifted

Guwahati: A day after violent protest, an uneasy calm was prevailing in trouble-torn Kohima where no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state on Friday.

Nagaland governor P.B. Acharya, who was in Itanagar, arrived in Kohima on Friday and met several tribal council leaders, including former chief minister Neiphu Rio, to resolve the crisis situation.

The home ministry also rushed Army and paramilitary forces to strengthen the protection to the chief minister T.R. Zeliang and his Cabinet ministers, who were confined to their official residence in Kohima even on Friday.

Nagaland DGP L.L. Dougel said that the police, CRPF and Assam Rifles have secured the Raj Bhavan, chief minister’s official residence and the Civil Secretariat.

The state administration said that prohibitory orders were in force in areas including Raj Bhavan, chief minister’s official residence and civil secretariat with no report of any untoward incident on Friday. However, curfew was lifted from some of the areas.

Earlier, the Nagaland Tribes Action Committee (NTAC), representing different tribal organisations, decided to proceed with the burial of the two bodies on Friday.

People from all walks of life participated in a peaceful prayer service in the heart of the state capital for the two protesting youth, who were killed in police firing at Dimapur on Tuesday.

The prayer service was conducted by the Kohima Baptist Pastors’ Fellowship at the spot where the bodies have been kept since Wednesday evening. 

Former chief minister Neiphiu Rio, the lone Lok Sabha MP from the state, attended the prayer service and laid wreaths on the bodies.

Mr Rio, who was instrumental in ending the impasse, told this newspaper, “No elected government should go against the wishes and voice of the people. The entire incident was tragic and unfortunate.”

Meanwhile, Nagaland Governor has also started consultation with various stake holders to pacify the situation as several Naga tribal bodies insisted on their demand for resignation of the chief minister, suspension of the police commissioner responsible for firing on protestors at Dimapur on January 31 and nullifying the February 1 urban local body elections.

Nagaland chief minister T R Zeliang who is in the eyes of storm however turned down the demand tribal council and refused to step down. In a related development, the BJP general secretary Ram Madhav on Friday conveyed a strong message to its four legislators to back Mr Zeliang. “We were told by our legislature party leader and minister P Konyak today that Mr Madhav has asked us to stand by Mr Zeliang,” said senior BJP MLA who doesn’t want to be quoted.

Meanwhile a total bandh was observed in Mokukchung, and Dimapur district on Friday, movement of vehicles was allowed in Kohima to enable people attend the prayer service. Mobile data service and SMS were not functioning since the last four days though there has been no official order to this effect.