Need for peace

The situation in Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi districts continues to remain tense. Koloriang and Palin towns are still under curfew. Political activists are resorting to violent methods to target one another and the administration, too. Re-polling was ordered at 18 polling stations following the allegation of booth capturing and rigging during the 11 April elections. The re-poll was conducted on 27 April but that, too, has run into controversy. One person was killed prior to the polling in Taba village under the Koloriang assembly constituency. Also, the re-poll could not be conducted at the Gimba polling station under the Tali assembly constituency in Kra Daadi district as the wire suspension bridge over the Kumey river was deliberately snapped by miscreants. There are now demands for fresh poll coming from Palin, Tali and Koloriang assembly constituencies, where re-poll had been conducted on 27 April.
The allegation of booth capturing and rigging has once again surfaced. On Monday, the SP office was vandalized and several government properties were damaged in Koloriang town. It is unfortunate that the people of Kurung Kumey and Kra Daadi, including the government officials who are working tirelessly in the two districts, are suffering due to hooliganism by a few individuals. These political goons are making life miserable for the ordinary citizens who have nothing to do with politics. It is time all the leaders, cutting across party line, came forward and made an appeal for peace. Though election-related violence is gripping the two districts, none of the top political leaders, including Chief Minister Pema Khandu, DCM Chowna Mein, MoS for Home Kiren Rijiju, APCC president Takam Sanjoy, and leaders of the NPP, the PPA, the JD (U), etc, have made any attempts to broker peace. The stoic silence maintained by these leaders is shocking, and they should be ashamed of themselves. Also, the people of the two districts should take election as a political battle and not some kind of war. Let this cycle of violence be put an end to. The state cannot afford to lose more innocent people in the name of political battles.