Police use water cannons on protestors during the ANCSU hunger strike in Kohima on June 4. (Morung Photo)
Our Correspondent
Kohima | June 4
The indefinite hunger strike staged by the All Nagaland College Students’ Union (ANCSU) in Kohima today spiraled into violence, with the police using water cannons, lathi charge and tear gas on protesting students, while latter claimed that authorities “stepped in” after “it became obvious that breach of peace in the State capital had taken place.”
ANCSU President, Katho P Awomi and three of his colleagues were also briefly detained by police before being eventually released in the afternoon.
College students demanding action on a host of issues, including alleged misappropriation of state technical scholarship funds and land issues at educational institutes across the state, had gathered to march to the Directorate of Technical Education, Kohima on Tuesday morning.
Police personnel however stopped them as permission for the staging hunger strike was not granted by the district administration. At 9:30am, police used water cannons on protestors around the Nagaland Civil Secretariat gate in an attempt to disperse them. Thereafter, the ANCSU President and three others were also arrested.
Subsequently, officials of the Naga Students' Federation (NSF) and Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) came forward to pacify the situation.
As the detained student leaders were released in the afternoon, the union decided to go ahead with the strike, prompting the police to use water cannons for the second time at around 4:00pm. Police also resorted to lathi charge the protestors, chasing them till the Tinnpati Junction.
During the fracas, protestors reportedly pelted stones at police personnel, while the latter used tear gas, eventually prompting the agitators to disperse in the Sanuoru Petrol Pump area. This report of pelting was later denied by ANCSU officials saying “officially the union has not received any report of retaliations from the students.”
Meanwhile, the Nagaland Chief Secretary Temjen Toy, in a release said that the students also dispersed away from the place of agitation in a peaceful manner as the protest was conducted without “clearance as per the laid down rules.”
The ANCSU demands include resignation of the Director of Technical Education and action against those officials involved in the alleged misappropriation of State Technical Scholarship funds amounting to Rs 1.32 crore.
Other demands of the ANCSU include immediate action on a Nodal Cell to implement scholarship schemes; immediate settlement of land issues at Kohima Science College and other institutions; issuance of 110 Assistant Professor sanctioned posts through NPSC under the Department of Higher Education; and investigation into scholarship schemes implemented in Nagaland funded by both state and centre.
ANCSU to continue hunger strike
The ANCSU meanwhile held a press conference on Tuesday evening and condemned the use of force by the state authorities. It also stated that the union would continue with its hunger strike.
“When we were peacefully marching towards the Directorate of Technical Education to show our resentment against the department and state government we were blocked on the halfway by the police,” ANCSU General Secretary, Vimeyiekho Vitso said. Vice President, Benjong Longchar was also present during the press conference.
The ANCSU officials condemned the arrest of their President, other colleagues and student leaders, and questioned the grounds on which they were detained. “They were released only after some hours after we demanded their release,” Vitso said.
“Some of our students were injured by the attack from the police personnel although the intention of the union and student community was ‘non-violence,” he said.
Regarding the issue of permission to stage the hunger strike, Vitso cited Article 19 of the Constitution as clearly giving citizens the right to assemble peacefully. He further stated that the union was “pained” at the way in which the state authorities handled the situation.
NSF flays ‘highhandedness’
Meanwhile, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) expressed its strong resentment on the State Government machineries for resorting to “lathi-charge, manhandling and the use of water canon upon the peaceful agitating students in uniform”
Taking serious note on the detainment of the President, ANCSU, along with two of his colleagues, and the President, Capital College Students’ Union, the Federation strongly objected to the highhandedness of the Police forces as ‘heinous’ while at the same time appealed to the agitating members for calm and to show restraint, a press note from NSF Medial Cell stated.
Acknowledging the ‘genuine’ demand of ANCSU and extending its solidarity, it reiterated its stand that priority will be given to students’ issues and further pressed the State Government to “resolve the issues with the urgency it deserves.”
