Dimapur, September 10 (MExN): The Aggrieved Teachers Association of Nagaland has alleged and at the same time condemned what it referred to as ‘communal remarks’ made by a top cop during yesterday’s protest outside the New Secretariat Complex, Kohima. A press note issued by the ATAN Executives claimed that the police officer rushed in to the “peaceful protestors then objected and manhandled some of the ATAN members”. Thereafter, he threatened the teachers by using communal remarks, such as ‘Police forces and A.P.O. will come and bash up......... Local manu kaan kae anikina apuni kaan kae maribo....’
According to the ATAN this in turn flared up the situation and the peaceful agitation took an ugly turn when police reinforcement came and started lathicharge, fired teargas and used water cannon against the members irrespective of gender resulting in serious injuries including women folk and children which according to the ATAN was a gross violation of Human Rights. Utensils worth thousands of rupees and the windshield of the hired bus of the aggrieved teachers were damaged in the process, the ATAN claimed. As such, it has outrightly condemned what it described as the “unruly behaviour of the police” and for “tarnishing the good image of the Angami Public Organisation (APO) by using communal remarks”.
In a separate press note five members of ATAN, Padumpukuri Dimapur issued a statement on yesterday’s protest. They claimed that ATAN members were “marred, harassed and manhandled with no fault of ours.” It also described the assault made by the police officer as ‘sadistic’ and “not expected from an officer of such stature”. “Isms’ are not expected from the law enforcing agency and such sadistic attitude have no place in our society and should be done away with it” it further stated. “By this write-up we don’t mean to justify what we did was entirely right; as we retaliated to the provocation. Right or wrong let alone whatever happened.”
