News Analysis India

Tag: Hornbill Festival

  • Failed ambush: Hornbill Festival stopped for a day as Nagaland mourns civilian killings

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: The picturesque Naga Heritage Village at Kisama, the main venue for Nagaland’s iconic Hornbill festival, wore a deserted look on Monday as the government cancelled the day’s events in solidarity with the killing of civilians in Mon district.

    The Hornbill festival, an annual ten-day extravaganza in which different tribes of the state showcase their traditions, began on December 1.

    Thousands of tourists from across the country and abroad were participating in the festivities.

    Diplomats from several nations, including the US, Germany and Australia, were also taking part in the festival.

    Expressing anger over the killing of civilians in Mon, six tribes under Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) and a few other tribes decided to refrain from participating in the cultural programmes.

    Konyak Union, the apex body of the Konyak tribe, to which the slain civilians belonged, also withdrew from the festival.

    Subsequently, almost all the tribal bodies decided not to participate in the festival till further notice.

    Later, the state government notified that the programmes would remain suspended on Monday.

    The entire vicinity of Kisama wore a deserted look with only police personnel present.

    The festival is being held across four districts.

    The major events include the Hornbill Music Festival, Nagaland Literature Festival and Nagaland Film Festival, mountain biking, and the Hornbill Bamboo Festival.

    At least 14 civilians and one soldier were killed in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation and retaliatory violence within 24 hours in Mon district of the state, as per police.

  • 13 civilians killed by security forces in Nagaland, 6 tribes decide to withdraw from Hornbill Festival

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Thirteen civilians were killed by the security forces in an “ambush” in Nagaland’s Mon district, multiple non-government sources said.The personnel, said to be para commandos, reportedly mistook the victims as militants and ambushed them, sources said.The incident took place on Saturday evening, December 4, 2021, when the victims were returning home from a coal mine in a pick-up truck. They were daily wagers at the coal mine.Mon District Magistrate, Superintendent of Police and other senior officials of the police and civil administration were not available for comments.Konyak (tribe) leaders in the district said six people had lost their lives on Saturday evening and seven others succumbed to their injuries till Sunday morning.“Thirteen civilians were killed and 11 civilians injured. Two civilians were also reported missing,” a tribal leader, who visited the spot after the incident, told this newspaper requesting anonymity.“We want action against the guilty personnel. If justice is not delivered, the families will not receive the bodies,” he said, adding, “We are going to all national and international human rights organisations”.The bodies were being brought to district headquarters Mon for post-mortem. The situation was said to be tense.“The coal mine is about 15 km from the victims’ village. They come home every Saturday, spend Sunday with family members and then report for duty on Monday morning,” a Konyak leader said.The Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) decided to withdraw from the annual Hornbill Festival which is ongoing at Kisama near state capital Kohima.The ENPO, which represents six tribes, had adopted a resolution earlier against bloodshed in its area.“How can we dance at the festival when our people are getting killed?” the Konyak leader asked.