Nagaland civilian killing: Konyak Union declares 7-day mourning; calls for Bandh on Dec 7

A bandh has been called by Konyak Students Union over Nagaland civilian killing incident. In a notice issued on December 6, the students union have called for a mourning period in the Mon district from December 7 to 13 under 'week of deep mourning'. The union has directed a 'strict compliance' to the complete bandh notice where only exceptions are given to administration and police personnel, fire emergencies and medical services. 

Additional notice regarding the schedule for following days shall be issued by the union, mentioned the letter. 

Nagaland civilian killing: Aftermath

In the aftermath of the Nagaland civilian killing that took place during late hours on Saturday, tribal communities in the state abstained from further participation in the annual Hornbill Festival. Generally regarded as the 'festival of festivals', the Hornbill fest is organised by the Nagaland government between December 1 and 10 to encourage inter-tribal interaction, as the state is home to numerous tribes. 

The apex body of the Konyak tribe - Konyak Union, which the slain civilians hailed, withdrew from the festival. Subsequently, almost all the tribal bodies announced their withdrawal from the ten-day event until further notice. Villagers in Oting also closed down the Konyak Morung at Kisama in solidarity with the victims of the firing incident. 

The renowned Naga Heritage Village at Kisama, the main venue for Nagaland's iconic Hornbill festival, exuded a deserted look on Monday as the government called off the day's events in solidarity with the killing of 13 civilians in Mon's Oting. 

Nagaland civilian killing: What happened?

Tensions mounted in Nagaland after daily wage labourers were returning in a pick-up van from a coal mine when security forces opened fire mistaking them for National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) militants, killing at least six people. Later, clashes erupted, which led to the death of more civilians and one Army official. 

Officials said that the incident is 'deeply regretted', while mentioning that the security forces suffered severe injuries, with one succumbing to his injuries. CM Neiphiu Rio has condemned the act and called for a 'high-level' SIT probe.