Naga Hoho, NMA issues legal notice to a research scholar

Dimapur, Sep. 18 (EMN): The Naga Hoho and the Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), through their lawyer, have issued a legal notice to a research scholar at the Centre for North East Studies, Benaras Hindu University, for her alleged defamatory statements against the two organisations.

A joint press release from the organisations on Friday informed that the research scholar, Anandita Singh, had written an article on August 18 title ‘Naga Hoho-The Babbling Brook of Nagaland’, in which she had made “false, frivolous and vexatious” statements “with an intention to cause damages, defame and tarnish the image and reputation of Naga Hoho and NMA inciting hatred amongst the civil societies of the Nagas and the outside world”.

They stated that the author had cast aspersions on their integrity “without verifying the veracity of the facts at hand”.

‘In the light of the false, frivolous and vexatious article with an intention to cause damage to NH and NMA by way of defaming and tarnishing the image and reputation of the organisations, which has directly and indirectly affected the ongoing Naga peace process, as such, Anandita shall be solely responsible if any untoward incident or stumbling block/hindrance occur due to her defamatory and vexatious article,’ the statement read.

“That the legal notice has been issued to Anandita to: a) immediately withdraw all the allegations and aspersions made against the organisations which have defamed the hard-earned status and image b) immediately stop sharing, withdraw and desist from making/publishing any more false, malicious and defamatory remarks/articles against the said organisations c) immediately remove the above-mentioned article that have been uploaded in the website as well as similar articles published either online/or print forum whatsoever, and tender an unconditional public apology through print and electronic media with regard to the baseless allegations.

“In case of failure to comply with the notice within the stipulated period of legal notice, we shall pursue legal action against Anandita, civil as well as criminal in the appropriate court of law,” it added.

The notice, it stated, was delivered on September 12 and she has been given 15 days to comply with it.