‘Assam NGOs shouldn’t always blame Nagas’

Dimapur, Jan 31 : A furious Tizit Area Students’ Union has lashed out at Assam non-governmental organizations for always blaming the Nagas for every incident that happens at the border. The TASU today issued a vehement statement disparaging Assamese organizations for accusing the Nagas behind the murder of an opium dealer, one Beli Rai, a Nepali, by her husband on January 17, 2011.
“We are fed up with their false allegations and propaganda initiated headlong at the advantage that the Nagas are dependent on the transit route of Assam which any essential commodities enters Nagaland… strike just to harass the Nagas on these and that issues” the union stated in a note received here today. The TASU questioned why “side-corner NGOs” in the border areas who aren’t even ‘Ahoms’ always blame the Naga people at each and every incident that takes place and these NGOs, non-Ahom, even take the name of “All Assam” in their nomenclature, the union said.
Referring to the murder on January 17, the TASU reminded that currently a joint enquiry and spot verifications by NGOs from both the sides have found that the deceased and her husband, Devan Rai runs an opium business; they had a bitter ‘feud’ as the deceased was often away from home. On one occasion, the deceased was cut in the hand by her husband, the union said taking into account the family background, accounts and the ‘fishy utterances’ of the victim’s husband. At this point of time, the TASU advised the Assam organizations, it would be wrong to blame anyone without evidence or witnesses when joint investigations are on by the police and administration.
The TASU condemned the murder and demanded to the authorities to book the real culprits in the interest of peoples of both the states. “We extend our fullest support and cooperation to the authorities in finding the real culprits,” the TASU said in its note.
On the statement that the Nagas “frequently attack Assamese people,” in the border areas, the Tizit students’ organization said that statement rather should have been made by the Nagas themselves. The TASU stated: “They (non-Ahoms) have gone beyond much limits taking undue advantage of the so-called economic blockade to the Nagas, harassing and abusing even kids and women. We have been bearing these brunt and insults meted out to us by the outside settlers of Assam keeping in mind of being Christian now and believing in the peaceful co-existence with the neighbors.” The union has cautioned people against breaking the Naga-Ahom relations.