Nagaland violence: Over a thousand Naga tribals have set fire to the Kohima Municipal Council office.
Kohima calmed down late on Thursday night after the Army was called in. Five columns, or 375 soldiers, were deployed across the city, which had witnessed arson and vandalism since afternoon as the protests escalated against Nagaland Chief Minister's refusal to postpone the municipal elections, in which seats were reserved for women. Sources said it has been decided that the election will be declared null and void and two senior police officers of Dimapur will be transferred so an impartial inquiry can be held into the firing incident. An order, however, is yet to be issued.
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The Kohima Municipal Council office was the epicenter of the protests, which was later torched by a thousand Naga tribals. The office of the Directorate of Transport was set on fire as well. Others ransacked government buildings and burned cars.
"The situation is under control, the important locations have been taken care of," said a senior officer of the Assam Rifles.
The authorities blocked mobile internet services in the state for an indefinite period and put additional security in place.
Thousands of protesters had gathered at the heart of the town since morning, carrying the bodies of the two people who were killed in police firing on Tuesday in Dimapur. Today, the protesters had attacked the house of a relative of Chief Minister TR Zeliang in Dimapur.
The protestors wanted the Chief Minister and his entire cabinet to resign by 4 pm. Demanding action against the policemen involved in Tuesday's firing in Dimapur, they said Governor PB Acharya, who is in Itanagar, should intervene in the matter.
The protest had started over the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government's decision to go ahead with the municipal elections, in which 33 per cent reservation for women is being implemented.
The tribals claim it violates their constitutional rights. The Article 371(A) of the Constitution allows them to follow their traditional laws, which do not give women any political right. The groups say that women are free to contest elections, but should not be given any quota.
Now there is anger against the government for going back on its promise to defer elections and hold talks with tribal organisations to arrive at a consensus on the issues of taxation and reservation. The protesters say on January 27, the Chief Minister had agreed to defer the elections.
On Saturday, the government decided to push ahead with the elections after an order from the Guwahati High Court, turning down the tribal groups' demand to defer them. Elections were held in 11 of the state's 32 municipal bodies on February 1.
On Tuesday, at least two people died and more than 10 were injured in clashes between police and protesters. The police had allegedly opened fire to stop a mob from throwing stones at the house of the Chief Minister. Curfew had been imposed in the state's commercial capital Dimapur.
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