Village vets ‘hateful’ NSCN (K) for shooting

EMN Dimapur, November 27 A village in Tuensang has called the armed underground group NSCN (K) “hateful” for its cadres opening gunfire when former chairperson of Nagaland State Social Welfare Board Rhakila Lakiumong was in proximity having conversations with some people. Rhakila Lakiumong is also a former political candidate of the ruling Naga Peoples’ Front. The Thsotokur Village Council has demanded from the authorities of the armed group clarifications “as to why the life of Smti. Rhakila Lakiumong has been attempted and intimidated.” The council has also demanded action from the group’s authorities, including “quantum of penalty” against the cadres for their act. The village has demanded that the group respond within 15 days from the publication of the press statement. Civil organizations have been issuing condemnations for what they are alleging is a bid on the life of the former political candidate. The incident is said to have happened on November 22. Thsotokur Village Council, under Tuensang district, issued a press statement today denouncing the alleged act of the NSCN (K). According to the press statement, the cadres of the group are said to have opened “blank shot of revolver just at the back” of Rhakila Lakiumong at a certain Helipong junction in Helipong village on the stated date. The alleged incident is said to have occurred around 9:00 am. The village council’s statement called the alleged incident “an abrupt act of folly and arrogance precipitated by mala fide intention.” Thsotokur Village Council said its “censure against handful of NSCN (K) cadres for the blank shot of revolver just at the back of Smti. Rhakila Lakiumong, Ex-Candidate and former Chairperson to Nagaland State Social Welfare Board at Helipong Junction on 22nd Nov 2013 at around 9:00 am.” According to the council, the incident happened while she was conversing with some people of Helipong village. “As a matter of fact, gun is not a puppet to be played with to one’s whims and fancies, therefore unless there is an element of some motives present in the mind it is suppose to be kept under complete control by its possessors and to that extent the erring cadres are fully aware of as well,” the village council said. Thsotokur Village Council stated further that the blank shot was “without any rhyme or provocation.” “And the element of motive is calculated to be intimidation and attempt to life of our innocent leader. At the spur of time she and her personal guard queried as to why the gun was shot, to which they sarcastically replied that it was a mere crackers, thus making the otherwise hyper-tense situation into mere amusement,” the council said. In the light of the started ‘fact and circumstance’, the village council has demanded to know the reasons from the competent authorities of the NSCN (K) “as to why the life of Smti. Rhakila Lakiumong has been attempted and intimidated.” The village has demanded a response “along with the quantum of penalty against the erring cadres.” This must be intimated to the village council within 15 days time with effect from the date of publication of this note. Failing to meet the demands would mean that the village would “withdraw all forms of cooperation towards NSCN (K).”