This letter is in reply to the rejoinder issued by Special Secretary (Home), K. Kire in the local dailies dated March 3, 2007, “On 9th IRB Officers Posting”, describing the newspapers carrying such report as “Unfortunate, Baseless and misleading”, but it is the other way round, for without such newspapers, the voice of the common man will be suppressed by the undemocratic government and the callous bureaucratic. The Special Secretary explained that the government is aware of the requirement to post officers as per existing vacancies and in fact had issued vide Government Notification No. Pol-i/ESTT/31/93 Dated 28-02-2007, for posting to Chhatisgarh, but that “the process took a little time as it was necessary to get clarifications from the Chief Election Officer in view of the Bye-elections in Dimapur and Tuesang so as to ensure that there was no breach of election Code of Conduct”. Now, Mr Secretary, K. Kire, for your information this is 2007 A.D and there is for the common people- “RIGHT TO INFORMATION ACT”, to know the truth from the manufactured lies. Anyway, the Nagas and the “Victims” of the developments in Chhatisgarh, and also the personnel’s and families of the 9th IRB and even 10th IRB are not so DUMB and without access to what is going on at PHQ tables and Home Minister table, in fact under their tables. The truth is that, the following officers were transferred as follows- Meren Ao and Yanchu Chang in the month of April 2006, Yanger Ao in July 2006 and Yanrenthung Lotha in November 2006 . Therefore Mr. Special Home Secretary K. Kire, when shortages of officers were known to the PHQ (including you in the capacity of then IGP, Adm at PHQ) and Home Minister since April 2006, because in the first place, these transfers are done by the PHQ and the Home Minister and I also don’t think the commandant of 9th IRB will be DUMB enough not to report to the PHQ about the replacements of the transferred officers or other emergency requirements from time to time, why are you insulting our intelligence by saying that- a little time was taken due to CEO, in view of the Bye Elections in Dimapur and Tuensang etc. (1) The Transfer File you have mentioned is dated 28-02-2007, but the shortages of officers have already existed from the month of April 2006 and for your information nearly-a-year is not a “little time”. (2) Regarding the Bye elections and Chief Election Officer and his Code of Conduct, how are they related to tragedies unfolding in Chattisgarh? Former CM Hokishe and MLA Lakimong were not yet dead when the shortages of officers began in Chattisgarh. Now a few question to Mr. Special Home Secretary-
(1) What was the PHQ doing from April 2006 to 28-02-2007 (the date of the above mentioned Transfer File)? Surely the PHQ and Home Minister could have filled up the vacancies within 1 week of each transfer (it is the paid duty of the PHQ officers to realized and elected duty of the CM and HM to understand that the 9th IRB are engaged in active national insurgency duties-when they themselves had send the IRB boys).
(2) How are the deaths of former CM Hokishe and MLA Lakimong and CEO’s Code of Conduct hampering the transfer of officers to Chhattisgarh? When the last officer transferred from Chhattisgarh to Nagaland was in November 2006 and former CM died in February 2007 and MLA died in November 2006- and when bye election date was not even announced?
(3) As per your press release “the Govt ‘was and is’ aware of shortages of officers then, the Govt must also be surely aware of the lack of Equipments and Trainings of 9th IRB. Isn’t Mr. SHS K. Kire?
(4) Talking about the slow procedures and that PHQ has no authority once the files are sent to Home Minister shows that the PHQ and Govt of Nagaland does not have the “professional capacity” to sent Naga soldiers out-of-state and to war like zones. This is the very reason why someone rightly said, the PHQ officers should be deputed to central paramilitaries (which are also said to be mandatory as an IPS-even promotee) to understand the “emergencies” of paramilitaries duties.
(5) The Chief Minister, Home Minister and DGP should have studied thoroughly before hand the problems of sending Naga soldiers out of state and should have studied their own personal capabilities and govt of Nagaland’s capacities to meet such exigencies, which was known to arise. Did anyone thought about such “foreseeable exigencies” before sending our sons to their graves?
(6) In Chattisgarh, where the situation is nothing less than “War”, the Nagaland government’s EXCUSES to cover up their blunders and callousness, does not stop the Naxalites from blowing up precious Naga sons in Chattisgarh. The Chief Minister, Home Minister and DGP should be sent to Chhattisgarh to negotiate with the Naxalites to “ceasefire” their landmines bombings till the Transfer File of officers are passed, and needed Equipments and Trainings are imparted to the 9th IRB soldiers.
(7) For transfer and posting of officers to place like Chattisgarh, the PHQ and HM must first finalize the replacements and then bring back the transferred officer from such place. In fact, the PHQ took no disciplinary actions when some officer refused and disobeyed their transfer order to Chhatisgarh in 2006.
We the bereaved families of the Chhattisgarh pray that all the departed souls may find solace in heaven and only wish and pray that no more innocent and brave Jawans meet their death in far off Chhattisgarh, due to the Lack of needed Equipments and Trainings, and lack of officers, which the PHQ and the Nagaland government could have requisition from the union Home Ministry and Trainings arranged in the landmines and Naxalites style of warfare easily and officers posted at the earliest, if the CM, HM and PHQ really know, what these brave but orphaned 9th soldiers are going through, to speedily address all the shortcomings faced by our sons in a alien land . Also, the Govt. of Nagaland should meet the bereaved families to know the untold heartbreaks in losing their “near and dear ones”, at the altar of the so called “National duties” and in this connection the demand by the Pochury tribe for the declaration of IRB “MARTYRS day” should be honored at the earliest. All the IRB’s should be aware of all these omens before they are sent to Chhattisgarh slaughter house. The Govt must do its best not sent any more Nagas to their deaths in Chhattisgarh without a “MEANING”. If at all other battalions are to be sent to Chhattisgarh to Chhattisgarh then “100% Paramilitary equivalent in all spheres, nothing less than the Assam Rifles” should be given to the IRB’s beforehand, to take Naga style VENGEANCE on the coward and bloody Naxalites Maoist.
“May the impartial God give solace to all the bereaved families”
Wabang Ao
Family Member of
the Chhattisgarh Victim, Mokokchung
