Nagaland: Protesters to enforce bandh on govt offices from today

“The Chief Minister is solely responsible for all the trouble. He is responsible for the death of two youths in police firing outside his residence in Dimapur on January 31. He is also responsible for the mob fury that led to the burning down of so many government offices in Kohima on February 3,” said K T Vilie, convener of the NTAC.

Zeliang, however, appeared to stick to his stand of not resigning from his post. On Friday, a meeting of the Naga People’s Front legislature party reposed faith in his leadership and asked him not to resign.

The protesters have also demanded the resignation of Zeliang’s entire cabinet “because all cabinet members were party to the decision to hold the urban local bodies’ election”.

The NTAC has asked the Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) and youth groups of other tribes to mobilise support from Monday to cripple the government machinery. “The bandh is only against state government offices and vehicles. All others, including educational institutions, have been exempted from the bandh,” Vilie said.

Private business activities resumed in both Kohima and Dimapur — the latter is Nagaland’s biggest commercial town — from Saturday itself. Markets remained open on Sunday. The Joint Coordination Committee (JCC), which is in charge of the agitation in Dimapur district, has asked business establishments and institutions to put up black flags as a mark of protest against the government from Monday.

Nagaland DGP L L Doungel said police have decided not to go for any confrontation with the protesters when they resume their bandh on Monday. “We have decided not to confront the agitators because it is a civil society that we are confronting,” Doungel told The Indian Express. “We are also looking forward to the outcome of Monday’s meeting of the NTAC, church leaders and the Chief Minister called by the Governor,” he said.

The state government, meanwhile, has transferred Dimapur Police Commissioner Liremo Lothaand and appointed Limasup Jamir in his place. But the move has not satisfied protesters with Vekhosayi Nyekha, co-convener of the JCC, saying that they wanted suspension of the Police Commissioner after holding him responsible for the firing incident in Dimapur.