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Dimapur, Oct. 5 (EMN): Hundreds of citizens led by ‘Civil Society Organisations’ Core Committee against shifting of DC office’ held a peace rally in Dimapur on Tuesday to protest the shifting of deputy commissioner’s office to the new complex at Chümoukedima.
The public carrying banners and placards marched from Holy Cross Junction to DC office, where a representation was submitted to the chief minister through the deputy commissioner, seeking a response in regard to the ultimatum served on September 29.
Addressing the gathering, the convenor of Civil Society Organisations’ Core Committee (CSO Core Committee) said that the people had gathered to protest the move to shift the DC office to Chümoukedima. He said that there was no other agenda, and ‘not about tribalism’.
He added that shifting of the DC office would ‘affect everyone’.
The convenor opined that if the said office building is old and cannot accommodate the offices, the government could shift the DC office to some other area which is under municipal council and cadastral land, ‘but it should not be shifted to a non-cadastral area’.
Meanwhile, the president of Naga Council Dimapur (NCD), Etsungmomo Kikon, said that people were gathered to fight for their rights. Maintaining that Dimapur has been in a peaceful environment for the last 25 years, he urged the gathering to maintain this peace among the people of Dimapur, even during the protest rally.
Kikon said that they were not opposing the development, rather Dimapur and Chümoukedima should be a twin city.
He expressed hope that the government would make wise decisions and peace among the people would prevail.
At the rally, Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) President, Moayanger Jamir appealed to the government to hear the voice of the people, while informing that there were more than 50 schools and 15 colleges and a total of 40 to 50 thousand students in Dimapur under the union.
While interacting with journalists, members of Dimapur Youth Forum said that they had set up two tents at DC office premises and would continue their agitation till the government respond.
They added that they would go to the extent of a hunger strike if the government does not pay heed to the agitation and the protest.
The representation submitted to the DC, the Civil Society Organisations’ Core Committee sought the response from the chief minister in regard to the 5-day ultimatum served on September 29.
It demanded the government to reconsider the shifting of the Deputy Commissioner's office to a different place and also to cancel the order issued by the principal secretary of Home department on September 7, to shift some branches/cells of the present DC office to New Deputy Commissioner's Office Complex, Chümoukedima.
The letter also stated that “the government of Nagaland had turned a deaf ear to the demands and grievances prayed by the Dimapur district citizens”.
“It is highly deplorable of the government to disdain the voice of its own people even after repeated representations and ultimatum served to the government on several occasions,” read the representation to the deputy commissioner of Dimapur.