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'Illegal' Naga village burned down by NSCN(IM) |
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 DIMAPUR JUN 16: The NSCN-IM today for the umpteenth time burned down Inavi village, now christened Naga United Village , which is located inside Intanki Reserve Forest, 5 kms away from Camp Hebron and under Peren district.
500 thatched houses including the church were burned down around 10 this morning, the villagers claimed. Only a prayer hall was spared.
According to the people, trying to set up a community at the reserve forest unheeding the restrictions from the state government as well as the NSCN-IM, their efforts to establish the village has been obstructed since 1996. The Forest Department too had evicted them.
The disputed village known as Inavi village till recently has been named Naga United Village. The NSCN-IM had declared the area as part of the National Reserved Forest.
As per reports, 14 tribes make up the population of the Naga United Village.
Villagers said around 160 NSCN-IM cadres led by officials appeared Tuesday morning and gave them 10 minutes to shift their belongings, before setting the houses on fire.
Residents of Naga United Village argued that the NSCN-IM was not fair in their dealings. Substantiating, the villager questioned why the village of Beisumpuikam (three kilometers short of Naga United village), which also lies within the map of Intanki was being spared.
‘Beisumpuikam village is as much under Intanki reserve forest as Naga United Village, but we wonder why that village is not being touched.”
He also claimed that the state government had in the late nineties observed if Inavi village was evicted, then Beisumpuikam must also face the same fate since both the village lies inside the reserved forest.
The villagers also alleged that the NSCN-IM are involved in ‘logging’ inside the reserve forest and said the outfit was more the encroacher of the forest than the people trying to establish the village.
Though the villagers were not harassed by the NSCN-IM today, daos, spades and air guns belonging to them were all reportedly seized.
Representatives from Sumi Hoho, Western Sumi Hoho (WSH), Dimapur Sumi Community and ENPO visited the site of the incident today. SDO (Civil) along with OC Sub Urban also visited the area for inspection.
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