Mass awakening at Miao against NSCN militancy

BORDUMSA April 2: People in thousands cutting across caste and community took to street with placards, banners and posters in a small semi-urban town of Miao in Changlang district of eastern Aruchal Pradesh, decrying a person allegedly belonging to the NSCN(IM) for serving death threat recently to Jowkhong Singpho, the zila parishad chairman in Changlang district who has also been a pro-active Singpho leader heading the Singpho Development Society (SDS), an apex body of the community.

Demanding peace in the Singpho-inhabited land across the district and condemning the act of serving telephonic death ultimatum to the Singpho leader by one Damthing Tangkhul allegedly working for the NSCN (IM), the mass protest rally kicked off at Miao shopping complex which culmited near the ADC Office. Around 2,000 people, including men, women, students and businessmen, took to the street to demand of the government steps to ensure peace in the area and crack heavily on the mece of militancy. 

“Threat to the leader of our community who has been the president of our apex organization is being viewed as the willful intimidation of the entire tribe,” said a Singpho students’ leader, adding innocent people are being constantly threatened and illegally taxed upon by the armed NSCN(IM) members.

Meanwhile, a memorandum to this effect was submitted to the Governor and Chief Minister of Aruchal Pradesh through the ADC Miao demanding security for Singpho people besides initiation of steps to ensure peace in the region.