In the wake of the killing of former MLA Yumsen Matey by Naga insurgents, the release of the kidnapped chief and the GB of Chop village in Longding district has become a huge relief. Village chief Chijgsan Wangham and GB Chopkhu Gangsa were kidnapped on 28 November by the Ang Mai faction of the NSCN (K). Longding district has witnessed a sudden spurt in kidnapping incidents in the last few years. The security agencies are failing to provide a sense of security to the people of Tirap, Changlang and Longding (TCL).
The rampant kidnapping of citizens, along with the killing of former MLA Yumsen Matey, point towards disturbing law and order situation in the TCL districts. The state government should wake up from deep slumber and act before it is too late. This habit of letting citizens fend for themselves is unfair and is fraught with danger. If citizens start losing trust in the government, a day might come when they will start to take the law into their own hands. Such a day will be catastrophic for the state.