Five tribal student bodies issue two-point charter of demand
DIMAPUR, JUNE 10 (MExN): A joint consultative meeting was held between the government of Nagaland and representatives of the Ao Senden at the office chamber of the Chief Secretary on June 10. The meeting resulted in a 5-point resolution signed by the Chief Secretary, Alemtemshi Jamir on behalf of the Nagaland government and the President of the ASTD, Supu Jamir on behalf of the Ao Senden, where various assurances were given by the Nagaland government. In view of the assurances offered by the government, it was resolved to approach the Ao Senden to call off the bandh.
A copy of the 5-point resolution, made available to the media informed that the Nagaland government affirmed its commitment for the construction of the Foothill Road stretching from Tizit to Dimapur and onwards to Khelma, “as a futuristic four lane road for the benefit of the people of Nagaland.”
The Nagaland government agreed to take immediate action to make the existing connectivity from Tizit to Dimapur functional at the earliest. The government assured for special action to be undertaken for the stretch via Bhandari to Zukheshi and to complete the missing sections within the financial year 2013-14.
The resolution said that the government resolved to further explore other short term/interim road and connectivity. It added that the report of the technical teams, who are currently surveying the roads, would be completed by June 2013. It further stated that work on such roads that are feasible would commence at the earliest during the current financial year.
It was also agreed that the state government would provide security for transportation of essential commodities, both from the Mariani road and the Amguri road to Mokokchung and thence to other parts of Nagaland State.
30-day period given for positive
response from the Chief Minister
Meanwhile, the Apex student bodies of five tribes namely Konyak, Phom, Sumi, Lotha and Ao have issued a two point charter of demand to the Chief Minister of Nagaland with regard to the Foothill Road. The students’ organisation on behalf of the affected districts has called for construction of the foothill road connecting Dimapur, Wokha, Mokokchung, Longleng and Mon at the earliest and has given a period of thirty days from the date of this representation for a positive response from the CM.
The representation was signed by the Presidents of the Konyak Students’ Union, Phom Students’ Conference, All Sumi Students’ Union, Kyong Students’ Union and the Ao Students’ Conference (AKM).
Pointing out that Nagaland as the 16th State of the Indian Union will be turning fifty (50) years on the December 1, 2013, the representation lamented that these fifty years of statehood “has seen many ups and downs in the state but the most difficult of all for the above tribes has been travelling to the state capital Kohima and the commercial hub Dimapur”.
“We had to pay the price for being the neighbor of Assam by being harassed on the way, many a times physically and mentally as happened on May 24 at Mariani and many more which have not been reported. Even for a trifle matter different organizations imposed bandhs in Assam due to which our people suffer just because we cannot reach the state capital and Dimapur without passing through their state”, stated the representation.
The joint representation also stated that the “untold hardship, torture, extortion by Assam Police and the vulnerability faced by our Naga people passing through Assam has been kept deaf and dumb by the Govt. of Nagaland. ” The aforesaid organizations termed this as “unbecoming on the part of the state Government”.
