TTC observes public mourning during Tsonglaknyi

DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 12 (MExN): The Tikhir Tribal Council (TTC) observed public mourning during its Tsonglaknyi cum Mini Hornbill celebrations on October 12, following the killing of an individual during the October 10 incident at Longtsonger village.

A press release from the TTC said the programme at its headquarters was curtailed to a short prayer session in honour of the deceased and in solidarity with the affected families. The TTC condemned what it termed “senseless and barbaric acts of violence”, which it said had displaced nearly 1,000 people from Zaonger, Thulin and Longtsonger villages, as well as Pungro and Shamator towns.

The TTC expressed outrage over reports that innocent families, including students, had been forced to flee their homes and that students' books and educational materials had been burned, disrupting their education.

“Driving innocent people from their homes and destroying the educational future of students is an act of sheer inhumanity that deserves the strongest condemnation,” it stated. The TTC said the loss of life, mass displacement and disruption of students' education could not be “brushed aside or treated as an ordinary dispute.”

It demanded immediate relief for displaced families, assistance for the bereaved family and the injured, and urgent measures to ensure the safe return of affected families and students. “No grievance can justify the taking of a life, the burning of students' books or the displacement of nearly 1,000 people,” the TTC stated.

It further called for accountability for those responsible and immediate action to restore the safety and dignity of all affected persons. The TTC also expressed solidarity with the bereaved family, the injured, displaced residents and affected students.