Mounting pressure on the state government to upgrade Tseminyu as a fully fledged district, the Rengma Hoho and Rengma Selo Zi have resolved to intensify their stir and announced an indefinite bandh from 6 a.m. of January 3, 2018.
The decision was taken at a consultative meet held with frontal organisations at Rengma Hoho office at Tseminyu on Friday. A joint statement issued by Rengma Hoho president Kenyuseng Tep and Rengma Selo Zi president Kenneth Kath later said the meeting decided the stir would continue until the demand for upgrading Tseminyu to a district was not met by the State government. The meeting also expressed disappointment over the government’s alleged continuing neglect of the Rengma community.
Rengma Hoho and Rengma Selo Zi said their volunteers would be placed at three points – Kandinu Station, Tseminyu Town and New Terogvunyu junction – to enforce the bandh. Administrative officials on duty, paramilitary forces, media, ambulances with patients and fire & emergency services have been excluded from the purview of the bandh.
Meanwhile, the peaceful dharna programme that commenced at the ADC office complex, Tseminyu on December 26 under the aegis of Rengma Hoho and Rengma Selo Zi entered the fourth day on Friday with activists hoisting black flags and black banners. The dharna is in support of creation of the district.
Stating that the peaceful dharna would continue till December 30, presidents of both the organisations regretted that while the State government had recently upgraded many administrative headquarters to districts, the demand of Rengmas was not met. Annoyed with the silence of government during the last four days of dharna, the two leaders also reiterated that they would not remain silent till their demand was fulfilled.
On the other hand, Rengma Hoho and Rengma Selo Zi have asked all village youth organisation presidents, range youth organisation presidents and range students’ union presidents to attend a joint emergency meeting at 2 pm on December 31 at Rengma Hoho office complex.