Unity Village incident: Govt vows action, villagers set 48-hr deadline to arrest culprits

DIMAPUR, MAY 27 (NPN): In the aftermath of the incident that occurred at Unity Village on May 23, the Chümoukedima district administration held a high-level coordination meeting on May 26, at the DPDB Conference Hall, a DIPR report stated.
The meeting, chaired by Deputy Commissioner Polan John, brought together village councils, GBs, police officials, and security agencies to assess the law and order situation and deliberate on measures to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
During the meeting, representatives from all participating village councils voiced strong concern over the safety of their citizens.
Deeply anguished by the incident, many councils resolved to take stern action at the village level, including revoking land pattas (land ownership rights), non-cooperation with culprits, even from the village and even bar factions from establishing designated camps in the village.
In a unified stand, the councils resolved to file an FIR demanding the arrest of the accused within 48 hours and urged the administration to take immediate measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
DC described the incident as “unfortunate and disturbing,” particularly at a time when the Naga public, civil society organizations, and tribal bodies are collectively advocating for peace. He expressed dismay that such violent acts– allegedly perpetrated by armed factions– were carried out in complete disregard of public sentiment, even as political negotiations between Naga groups and the Government of India remain at an advanced stage.
DC said that such incident as “illegal action” and was liable to be punished as per the law, adding that movement with arms outside designated camps is strictly prohibited and violation of the ceasefire ground rules. He warned that repeated violations could erode public confidence in the factions and compel government authorities to escalate the matter to the Ceasefire Monitoring Group (CFMG).
He acknowledged the village councils and GBs for sharing their concerns and valuable suggestions, and assured them that a detailed report from the police would be submitted to higher authorities, where appropriate and serious action would be taken.
Emphasizing the importance of adhering to the ceasefire ground rules, DC stressed the need for clear-cut directives to address such issues effectively. While noting that government agencies must operate within certain protocols and limitations, DC assured that they would extend full coordination, assistance, and guidance. He also urged the councils to submit their representations and any ultimatum.
Security and police representatives, while briefing the meeting, stated that operations were conducted following the May 23 incident. However, they pointed out that entry was denied at the ceasefire monitoring office due to ceasefire ground rule restrictions.
They also informed that a detailed report is being compiled and will be submitted for further directives from higher authorities.
The police emphasized that “crime is crime,” and assured that appropriate action would be taken. They acknowledged that extortion remains rampant but lamented the lack of formal complaints from victims. They called upon the leaders to support police efforts by cooperating in legitimate criminal investigations. Police also assured that efforts were underway to arrest the individual involved in the May 23 incident.