Unity village incident: NHAVCF announces 6-hr shutters down

In a significant development, the National Highway Area Village Councils’ Forum (NHAVCF), comprising of 13 villages adjoining the 4-lane National Highway 29, has announced a six-hour “Shutters Down” protest on June 11, 2025, from 6 a.m. to 12 noon.
This was informed in a press communiqué issued by the forum convenor
Sebastian Zumvu where the Forum stated that the shutters down was a symbolic expression of resentment, anguish, and discontent over unresolved issues
affecting their communities.
NHAVCF said that as part of the protest, black flags will be displayed in front of all shops and commercial establishments within the affected area.
The forum has taken the step in view of the lawless acts of armed elements with specific reference to the “dastardly act of May 23,2025 at Unity Village,” where the perpetrators remained at large despite several of them being identified and also named in the FIR lodged by Unity village.
The Forum asserted that the “shutters down” strike was called as ‘cease fire ground rules’ continue to be “blatantly violated by almost all the factions” that have signed cease fire agreements on various occasions with the government of India. It said defaulters roam free within impunity to indulge in similar “criminal activities” without fear of the law or repercussions.
NHAVCF also cited how “designated Ceasefire Monitoring Offices” were converted to “safe havens for criminals, who commit crimes and take refuge in these offices, leaving security forces/law enforcement agencies “hapless owing to defective restrictions” in the CF Ground Rules that restrained them “to enter these places and apprehend the cuprits.”
The Forum also said Naga public “continue to suffer because of the nefarious acts of numerous Naga underground factions” through imposition of “illegal taxes on business establishments and traders, on village councils” including abduction and torture of innocent civilians.
Despite the above, the Forum said the government of India continues to maintain “a deafening silence over the Naga political issue, even though the Naga peace talks have reportedly concluded on October 31,2019.
In the light of the above, the Forum has also appealed to all “like-minded villages, business bodies and urban local bodies all over Nagaland” to join in closure of shops during the shutters-down on June 11 as solidarity with it.
Recently, HAVCF resolved that no underground faction shall be permitted to establish ‘designated camps’ within their territorial jurisdictions.
The Forum also informed that a press conference will be held at Sovima Village Council Hall on June 10 at 11 a.m.