DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 17 : Like two old and seasoned boxing friends – each reluctant to throw the first punch – the first 10 hours of the indefinite national highway bandh called by the Co-ordination Committee on Fuel Adulteration (CCoFA) on Monday passed off with nothing more than friendly banters between the youth volunteers enforcing the bandh on one side of the ring, and police in riot gears on the other.
Despite the protestors’ prior clarification that the bandh would be peaceful and non-violent in nature, the State Government had declared it illegal on Sunday thereby, as a consequence, outlawing the protestors. On paper, a confrontation was imminent – thus the boxing analogy.
The first real show of force, or something resembling force, occurred at around 4.30 pm (the bandh had started at 6am). The protestors gathered at New Field Check Gate were “chased off” the road by the police in order to allow a convoy including Chief Minister TR Zeliang to pass through.
The Chief Minister, accompanied by other leaders and government officials, had left for Kaziranga early Monday morning to attend a meeting with Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. While going there, the CM had avoided passing through New Field Check Gate, where volunteers were stationed.
He had used an old road that links Veterinary colony in Burma Camp, Dimapur and Lahorijan in Assam. Early in the morning, while briefing newsmen, the protestors claimed that the CM choosing to use a road “used by smugglers” was a moral victory for the CCoFA.
“If this bandh is illegal, then why did he not travel through this way (towards New Field Check Gate)?” a CCoFA member asked. Also, in a statement issued later in the evening, the media cell of CCoFA stated: “In a hilarious turnaround, though the cabinet had declared the protest illegal, the cabinet entourage led by the chief minister sneaked into Assam bypassing the New Field Check, an admission of guilt and lack of moral authority on the part of government.”
It stated that that CM had created a “warlike situation by deploying hundreds of fully armed policeman” so that he could return through the New Field Check Gate. It also accused the government of using “extreme force” on volunteers later in the evening.
“The dictatorial and high handed attitude shown by the government is most condemnable. Not satisfied the Dimapur police went on a mad rampage and even damaged vehicles that were parked. CCoFA appeals to the Governor of Nagaland to take cognizance of this extreme violation of human rights and freedom of expression by the state government. The driver of Scorpio vehicle no. NL-10-8869 was responsible for YAN volunteers getting beaten up by gung-ho police personnel,” it stated.
While appealing all right-thinking citizens to condemn the government’s “terror tactics”, it also cautioned that in the event of such high handedness on the part of police, the next phase of total indefinite bandh would start, and CCoFA could not guarantee that the protest will be peaceful.
“The CCoFA asks why the Cabinet is so eager to resort to lathi-charge against its own people who are simply protesting against the rampant corruption in the State? The Cabinet is reminded that it cannot arbitrarily declare a peace protest by the people as illegal based on their own whims and fancy,” it stated. The cabinet’s decision to declare the bandh as illegal was unfortunate and absurd, it added.
“Does the government think that calling for a CBI enquiry is a criminal activity? Under which Act has the government deemed it necessary to declare the peaceful Gandhian protest illegal? Can the Cabinet pass an order based simply on feelings?” it wondered.
The CCoFA has appealed all concerned citizens to join the protest and show solidarity by gathering at Patkai Bridge, Chumukedima from 6 am onwards.
On Monday, besides New Field and Dillai Check Gates, volunteers were also stationed at Chumukedima Police Check Gate. Youths from Zubza, Peducha and Medziphema also manned the NH 29 in their respective jurisdictions. No oil tankers turned up at any of the entry gates. Nagaland government vehicles caught plying in the restricted sections were politely sent back by the volunteers.
