Factional Fire still Blazing Hard
Dimapur, May 12 (TEN): Despite the unending call of Naga civil society, including mothers, and peace initiatives by society and church for cessation of factional fights, fighting between the Naga underground factions continue. A nearly more than two-hour heavy factional fight in Sethekiebasa village in 4th Mile area today left citizens compelled to intervene and chase away the cadres from the public areas. Heavy firing could be heard till 6:50 pm. Residents said that it started around 4:30 pm.
Residents of the Sethekiebasa village maintained that cadres from the Unification camp attacked a group of NSCN (IM) cadres who were resting in a paddy field in the area, resulting in the heavy gunfight. Police however, said that it could not be exactly ascertained who started the fight, since cadres of both the rival NSCN factions were present in the area.
Interestingly, just a few hundred meters away from the paddy fields, on the other side towards South-East, is located Xhelozhe village, Showuba village, Aoyim and finally Vihokhu village, the headquarter of the NSCN/GPRN (Unification), which is “quite far away from the area” though. Sethekiema area, which comprises of five villages, has been a hotbed of factional tension and even witnessed factional clashes in the recent past.
Top police sources, quoting unconfirmed reports, disclosed that one cadre was injured and is admitted in Zion Hospital, Dimapur. Police suspect more injuries or even fatalities, though it could not be ascertained due to the late hour and heavy rain this evening.
However, this evening too, like in Diphupar, the public of the village intervened and chased the cadres away from the public places, into the paddy fields. Some two hundred public appealed the cadres though a loudspeaker to ceasefire. “Morom kori kena itu jaga charedibi. Bosti manu laga jaga chari dibi (‘please vacate this area. leave the village people’s area’),” the loudspeaker appealed. Unintelligible commotion of public, apparently, could be heard from the other side of the paddy field, towards Showuba side.
The area in which the firing took place is mostly inhabited by migrant workers tending fields, residents said.
Some families tending their fields were forced out of their homes and came up to where the public had gathered. They disclosed to have been directed by the underground cadres to leave their homes and leave the vicinity. Some children from the families, scattered during the firing, were reported to be missing.
“First they came and asked if there were other people in our homes…then they asked us to vacate out homes,” said a woman who came up after vacating her home located in the fields.
A resident of the area standing along with the others verbally abused the media. He claimed that the media is “biased” and “does not report the facts.” He alleged that the media is inclined towards one side or the other. He also censured that the administration and the police were not present at the spot of the incident.
However, police personnel from the Diphupar Police station were found to be at the site of the shootout, though they did little to intervene.
The EAC of Chumukedima also arrived at the scene a little later. A busload of IRB jawans lead by SDPO Dimapur I Sungit Jamir and the ADC also followed suit. However, a police official at the spot said that police intervention would not help since it would only ‘aggravate the situation and create more firing.’ Nonetheless, some of the public were quite angry with the police for their inaction.
“See the police is here, but they are standing up there,” remarked a resident angrily.
“The public would say that, but we the police are also with arms and ammunition and the cadres are also with arms and ammunitions, so definitely a clash would ensue,” defended a top police officer adding that the police did not want to take the situation out of hand.
Late night reports from the police said that the situation in the area is tense ‘but under control.’
Residents of the Sethekiebasa village maintained that cadres from the Unification camp attacked a group of NSCN (IM) cadres who were resting in a paddy field in the area, resulting in the heavy gunfight. Police however, said that it could not be exactly ascertained who started the fight, since cadres of both the rival NSCN factions were present in the area.
Interestingly, just a few hundred meters away from the paddy fields, on the other side towards South-East, is located Xhelozhe village, Showuba village, Aoyim and finally Vihokhu village, the headquarter of the NSCN/GPRN (Unification), which is “quite far away from the area” though. Sethekiema area, which comprises of five villages, has been a hotbed of factional tension and even witnessed factional clashes in the recent past.
Top police sources, quoting unconfirmed reports, disclosed that one cadre was injured and is admitted in Zion Hospital, Dimapur. Police suspect more injuries or even fatalities, though it could not be ascertained due to the late hour and heavy rain this evening.
However, this evening too, like in Diphupar, the public of the village intervened and chased the cadres away from the public places, into the paddy fields. Some two hundred public appealed the cadres though a loudspeaker to ceasefire. “Morom kori kena itu jaga charedibi. Bosti manu laga jaga chari dibi (‘please vacate this area. leave the village people’s area’),” the loudspeaker appealed. Unintelligible commotion of public, apparently, could be heard from the other side of the paddy field, towards Showuba side.
The area in which the firing took place is mostly inhabited by migrant workers tending fields, residents said.
Some families tending their fields were forced out of their homes and came up to where the public had gathered. They disclosed to have been directed by the underground cadres to leave their homes and leave the vicinity. Some children from the families, scattered during the firing, were reported to be missing.
“First they came and asked if there were other people in our homes…then they asked us to vacate out homes,” said a woman who came up after vacating her home located in the fields.
A resident of the area standing along with the others verbally abused the media. He claimed that the media is “biased” and “does not report the facts.” He alleged that the media is inclined towards one side or the other. He also censured that the administration and the police were not present at the spot of the incident.
However, police personnel from the Diphupar Police station were found to be at the site of the shootout, though they did little to intervene.
The EAC of Chumukedima also arrived at the scene a little later. A busload of IRB jawans lead by SDPO Dimapur I Sungit Jamir and the ADC also followed suit. However, a police official at the spot said that police intervention would not help since it would only ‘aggravate the situation and create more firing.’ Nonetheless, some of the public were quite angry with the police for their inaction.
“See the police is here, but they are standing up there,” remarked a resident angrily.
“The public would say that, but we the police are also with arms and ammunition and the cadres are also with arms and ammunitions, so definitely a clash would ensue,” defended a top police officer adding that the police did not want to take the situation out of hand.
Late night reports from the police said that the situation in the area is tense ‘but under control.’
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