Villagers suffer as Siroy impasse continues

UKHRUL, Jan 31 : Tucked away 18 kilometres from Ukhrul main town, the Shiroy village is under seige, the situation arising out of the back-drop of a stand-off between the Assam Rifles and the NSCN(IM). The crisis entered its 11th-day today as the conflict remains unresolved.

According to a source from the established Coordination Committee on Shirui Seige(CCoSS), the economy and the normal life in the affected Shirui village was paralysed owing to the situation as the village folks are unable to take to activities of farming though it is the sowing season.

It is reported that womenfolk numbering around 50 to 80 from the neighbouring villages are keeping vigil at the thoroughfare between the NSCN camp and the Assam Rifles singing and praying to harmonize the situation. Day and night they are trying to avoid the much feared booming of guns between the armed parties. The economic activities of farming and selling of the crops has been disturbed infringing the rights and daily livelihood of the innocent villagefolk, it said.

The report also stated that an indefinite sit-in protest against the seige of Shiroy village by the Assam Rifles still continues and around 2000 womenfolk in the heart of Ukhrul town at Gandhi Chowk are staging protests every day demanding the immediate withdrawal of the Assam Rifles personnel from the village since the issue has caused immense trouble.

It is also reported that on January 28 civil society bodies from Nagaland including Naga Hoho, the apex Naga frontal Naga civil organization, Naga Students Federation (NSF) in collaboration with the UNC, ANSAM, NWSUM, NPMHR (South Sector) from Manipur unit and TNL, TKS, TMNL, TSL,TWL, the leading Tangkhul social organizations in Ukhrul district visited the village, but so far there is no change in the situation.

Earlier on January 25, the CCoSS also submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner of Ukhrul district demanding change of the Assam Rifles but till now there is no change, said reliable sources.

The MIP team from Hebron has also come to Ukhrul to oversee the overall situation.