Curfew disrupts life in hill districts
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 09, 2012:
Normal life in Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong and Chandel was severely affected for a brief period from 11 am to 1 pm today on account of the 'public curfew' imposed by the Naga Women Union (NWU) to demand the un-conditional release of NSCN-IM's head of foreign affairs department Anthony Ningkham Shimray.
Business establishments and commercial centres remained shut during the curfew hours in the four Naga-dominated hill districts.
Vehicular traffic was also disrupted on Imphal-Dimapur and Imphal- Jiribam highways as large sections of these highways pass through the Naga dominated districts.
The NWU has urged Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh for unconditional release of Anthony Ningkham.
Anthony Ningkham was apprehended from Kathmandu airport enroute to New Delhi from Bangkok on September 27, 2010. Anthony was going to New Delhi to attend another round of peace dialogue between Government of India and NSCN-IM which was scheduled on September 29 the same year, it said.
After concealing Anthony's whereabouts for five days, the Government of India, in the face of mounting pressure from National and international human rights groups, finally admitted arresting Anthony.
Since then the NSCN-IM functionary has been confined in Tihar Jail, New Delhi on the charge of procuring arms and waging war against Government of India.
"Today's two-hour public curfew passed off peacefully as the people extended full cooperation to our legitimate demand," said NWU president Aram Pamei on Thursday afternoon.
"We will continue to agitate in a democratic manner unless Anthony is freed without any condition by the Centre," she said.
Maintaining that the arrest of Anthony negated the ongoing Indo-Naga peace process, Aram Pamei claimed that his participation can bring qualitative and effective changes to the dialogue process.