Curfew imposed in Kiphire after arson, firing

(L-R) A portion of the damaged residence of DC Kiphire. Damaged vehicles outisde the DC’s residence.

Kiphire remained tense Monday after violence broke out Sunday evening when over 500 people converged at police point and blocked roads.

The crowd then marched towards Assam Rifles (AR) camp protesting against the assault of three youths by AR personnel at the police point earlier.

Five persons including one jawan sustained injuries when AR resorted to firing in an attempt to disperse the irate crowd that began pelting stones towards the Assam Rifles camp and DC’s residence.

According to sources, the angry mob also set six vehicles (4 vehicle belonging to district administration, 1 to DEF and 1 belonging to AR) on fire and partially damaged a portion of the DC’s official residence. In the melee, the incensed mob caught hold of one AR jawan and thrashed him, said sources.

The other four injured in the aftermath of firing by AR personnel have been identified as Tsayangse from Kiphire village; Chumhose from Old Monger village; James from Hutanger village and Chungliba from Old Risethsi village. The injured AR personnel could not be identified till the filing of this report.

Sources said that the tension began around 6 p.m. when Assam Rifles personnel allegedly assaulted three youths who were carpenters at the Police Point junction.

As per eye-witness account, the three identified themselves but AR personnel did not pay heed to their plea and instead asked them to take them to bring some underground cadres to them.

In a separate incident on the same day, a class seven student of Eastern Christian School, Kiphire was also physically assaulted at Pungro Junction, Kiphire while he was returning from Zingki river.

Akhumse Sangtam, the victim said that Assam Rifles personnel ordered him to “do frog jump” and then beat him with a slash bamboo without any reason.

The local public alleged that since the last two months, it has become a routine exercise for AR to harass people while checking vehicles, mobile phones, personal dairy and cane- baskets belonging to people.

These led to public alert where more than thousands public gather at Police point Kiphire. The wild mob then blockaded the road with woods and boulder.

High level team to probe
A coordination meeting was held at AR camp Monday between power parliamentary secretary C. Kipili, DIG range W. Krome, Tingre, Commandant 7 AR, DC and tribal leaders to discuss the prevailing situation in Kiphire.

C. Kipili who chaired the meeting said a high level committee would be constituted to probe into the causes of the violence on Sunday.

He also appealed the elders of the area to find a solution so as to bring back normalcy in there. Others who spoke on the occasion expressed dismay over AR’s high handedness.

Torechu appeals for restraint
Parliamentary secretary for excise, economics & statistics and LM & CP, T. Torechu urged for restraint from all quarters to bring back normalcy in the district.

Dismayed over the ugly turn of events, Torechu who also represents 60 Kiphire-Pungro A/C, in a press release said AR personnel, “in the first place, should not have gone to the extreme of harassing innocent public, especially children, in the name of maintaining law and order”.

He said “in the interim period of cease-fire with all Naga political (underground) groups, it was expected that all parties involved in the peace process and the public at large should give their best on how to bring about an ‘honourable and lasting solution’ to the protracted Naga problem”.

Expressing reservation over the reported “excess” on the part of AR personnel, Torechu appealed to the public of Kiphire not to take law into their own hands but to repose their faith and confidence in the district administration to redress their grievances.

Given the present situation, Torechu called upon all responsible groups, parties and tribal hohos of Kiphire to try their best in bringing back normalcy in the district.