Staff Reporter
Dimapur, August 12
TENSIONS gripped Ralan area under Wokha district, bordering Assam, when hundreds of Adivasis armed with bows and arrows began a procession around 2 pm today and destroyed a CRPF barrack gate at Chandalashung-B.
The Adivasi mob reportedly opened fire which alerted the public of Ralan area. Reacting to the advances of the intruders, the people of Ralan area are said to have retaliated by firing back.
It was reported that the Adivasis are from Chandalashung-B (Chetiagaon), Sonari, Orang and Lifowyan (Jairpur), all under Ralan areas. The intruders are claiming land. The incident is also believed to owe undertones to allegations that two Adivasi boys were kidnapped earlier.
However, the people of Ralan have made it clear that they have nothing to do with the missing persons. The people of Ralan continue to maintain that the land belongs to them while the Adivasis are merely tenants. It may be mentioned here that the Assam-Nagaland border area is rife with mostly illegal immigrants who work as contract tillers or labourers for indigenous landowners.
According to information received by Eastern Mirror, the people of Ralan have began retaliating to the attack by Adivasi miscreants and have burned down about 50 houses belonging to Adivasi people in Chandalashung-B, Sonari, Orang and Lifowyan (Jairpur) village.
There were no reports of casualties at the time of filing this news report. However, tension continues to prevail in the area. Currently, the police are also unable to offer independent assessment about the situation.
KLH demands adequate police force
The Kohima Lotha Hoho has urged the government of Nagaland to urgently deploy sufficient State Police force in the affected Ralan area before the situation goes out of hand.
In a release today, Kohima Lotha Hoho president Nchumbemo Tungoe and general secretary Thunglamo Ovung said the Hoho is seized of the unprecedented firing incident at Chandalashung village of Ralan Area in Wokha district. It said as per eye witnesses report, unruly mob of labourers from Assam, armed with bow and arrows backed by AALNA/Maoists as well as Assam police, pulled down a residential home of a Lotha Naga which ultimately led to serious confrontation and firing.
Describing the action of the labourers as unwarranted since genuine efforts are on to solve the border issue, the Hoho condemned the motive of using illegal immigrants and Adivasi labourers as human shield to encroach upon Naga areas by Assam government.
“It must be clear to every concern that in no time in the history of Nagas were we neighbors to Adivasis or any other people except the Ahoms,” the Hoho stated.
