Timber traders have threatened to impose blockade on Dimapur-Peren route, including both commercial and private vehicles and movement of people, if three of their demands were not met within one week.
Taking strong exception to Nkio Students’ Union (NSU) imposing a “blanket ban” on timber operation, which they said was totally uncalled for and provocative, especially at the present juncture when the government as the mediator was yet to announce a decision on the issue between the timber traders and Peren civil society organisations (CSOs), Nagaland Timber Traders’ Union (NTTU) and its affiliated units demanded that the CSOs should refund whatever money the timber traders had invested in Peren district within one week.
NTTU president Kevise Sogotsu, Dimapur District Timber Mill Owners’ Association president Mughato and Chümoukedima Timber Traders’ Association president Khenito in the joint press release also demanded that all sawmills operating in Jalukie valley without valid licence should be closed down within a week, besides arresting the culprits responsible for setting ablaze two trucks belonging to one of its members on the night of May 30 at Samzuiram-Athibung bridge. Claiming that they had been patiently waiting for the State government to find an amicable solution to the issue, they also accused Peren CSOs and their agents of being determined to imposing their own rules and ignore the government’s awaited decision.
To cite an instance of taking the law into their own hands, the trio alleged that some miscreants had set ablaze two trucks belonging to one of a member near Samzuiram-Athibung bridge around 11.30 pm on May 30.
According to them, the armed youth came in four motorbikes, halted the trucks and ordered the drivers to get down from the vehicles at gunpoint. After the drivers had fled from the spot, the youth set fire to the trucks.
Mentioning that they had filed an FIR on June 2 against the Peren CSOs regarding the arson case, they demanded that the culprits responsible for the arson should be booked and arrested within a week from the date of issue of this press release.
Recalling how following the sudden announcement of ban on movement of unprocessed timber from Peren district by CSOs in 2021 they had made their stand clear and unequivocal, the three bodies insisted that in the event of the CSOs not giving sufficient time to timber traders who had invested a huge amount of money, labour and machinery to wind up their operations, then the latter should pay back all the money invested by the traders.
They also claimed that it was only the villagers and individual landowners of Peren district who had gone to the timber traders requesting the latter to buy their respective areas and trees. And since the land and resources belonged to the people or villagers as per Article 371 (A), they clarified that the traders agreed to buy the areas and trees.
Recalling that parties had entered into agreements or transactions earlier verbally in good faith as per Naga customary law, which was binding on both the parties, they claimed that no written documents were needed to seal a deal or agreement. But in the present issue, they lamented that even after written agreements that could be validated in any court of law, the Peren CSOs were determined to break the code of honour.
The timber traders’ body said they had so far refrained from taking any action in the hope that both parties would wait for a government decision. But since the Peren CSOs were bent upon imposing their own will, they clarified that they were compelled to give a counter along with their units.
