Nagaland: Normal life paralysed as indefinite bandh for Aboi district enters Day-4

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Jan. 27 (EMN): The indefinite bandh spearheaded by the Aboi District Demand Committee (ADDC) has paralysed the normal life of the people but the Aboi public is determined to achieve its demand for a separate district administration.

The ADDC told Eastern Mirror that during the 36th General Session of Konyak Union on September 2, 2016, an undertaking was adopted wherein ‘the house took a pledge between the Konyak Union and Aboi District Demand Committee’.

As per the undertaking, it was agreed upon that ‘the Konyaks shall remain under an umbrella for administrative convenience, and the present Mon district be bifurcated for creation of a new district headquarters.

Therefore, the Konyak tribe would settle under Konyak Union (KU), Konyak Nyupuh Sheko Khong (KNSK), Konyak Students’ Union (KSU), Konyak Baptist Bumeinok Bangjum (KBBB), Konyak Literature Board and any kind of union/society/unit would be under the umbrella of Konyak Union.

“This pledge between the Konyak Union (Apex Body) and Aboi District Demand Committee shall remain forever,” it stated.

The committee reiterated that ‘there was no question of division or differences on tribal line as stated by the state government on Jan. 23, 2022’.

Therefore, the demand from the state government is to immediately declare Aboi a district, ADDC stated while maintaining that “the apex body, Konyak Union, has no objection towards the creation of a new district in the Konyak soil”.

The committee asserted that their demand was the ‘longest running and pending one since 2008’ and a genuine demand for the population, ‘which shouldn’t have any issue’.

It further underlined that Aboi was a feasible centre and convenient for administration, and ‘the government only had to remove ‘additional’ from ADC and declare Aboi a district’.

“When the other towns are declared as district, why shouldn’t Aboi be recognised as a separate district? We are not against any other tribe or districts and have no tribal issue. But we want our genuine demand to be recognised,” the committee reiterated.

Meanwhile, in a separate press statement, ADDC on Thursday stated that the 4th day of the indefinite bandh continued in Angjangyang SDO , Chen SDO , Longchang EAC Hq and Aboi ADC HQ on Thursday.

It stated that the Aboi public was ‘ready to tolerate’ the bandh despite their normal life being paralysed as it is the ‘longest pending issue of the state’.

“Henceforth, no matter what, the Aboi public under the aegis of Aboi district HQ demand would strive to accomplish the long dreamt demand for establishment of a district HQ in the Konyak soil. Thereby, the public sought upon the Konyak Union (Apex body) and nine MLAs of Mon district to ponder upon, if the creation of new District HQ in the Konyak Soil would upgrade and uplift the downtrodden section of our community or should we watch and wait when the whole world is moving ahead?,” read the statement. 

ADDC further reminded that the Aboi district HQ demand was initiated in 2008 during the leadership of the present Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.

‘He is well aware of the issue but his attitude and statement towards the vast population of Konyak is baseless and illogical. When the rest of the districts were created and the inhabitants are the Naga tribes, then why has he taken the decision personally towards Aboi district HQ demand?’ it asked.

The committee said that it had met Rio at his residence and urged to declare Aboi HQ as district on December 17, 2021.

ADDC, however, expressed shock and ‘questioned his leadership for drawing lines within the Naga community’.

“Henceforth, without any hesitancy, the public of Aboi shall continue with indefinite bandh until the government of Nagaland reconsiders their statement and our demand is fulfilled as the 17th District of Nagaland,” it added.