Lightning closure of shops in Dimapur

A lighting forced closure of shops in Dimapur town by the Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) Wednesday afternoon in response to the call of the NSF, caught public and shopkeepers alike by surprise.
Around 2 p.m, DNSU volunteers went about town and ordered all shops to down their shutters. Many shopkeepers who were not aware of the reason for the DNSU’s order, immediately closed their shops out of panic.
However, district administration and police alongwith IRB personnel immediately swung into action and asked the businessmen to re-open their shops. Police also detained a couple of DNSU activists but they were later released.
SP Dimapur Liremo Lotha tried to reason out with DNSU activists and told them that there was a “democratic way” of showing disproval for certain issues and that picketing of shops was not the right way to address their grievances.
DNSU president Solomon Awomi, said the decision to picket shops was an emergency step. “For today we are closing down the shops if the government does not meet our demand we would even impose ban soon,” he said.
Some people from far off villages who had come for Christmas shopping commented that it was “not fair” on the part of students to picket shops.
Later, a joint meeting of DNSU, district administration and police led by DC Dimapur Maongwati Aier and SP Dimapur was held at SP office, where the district administration assured to forward the demand of the students to the appropriate authority.
Meanwhile, DNSU in a press release said as per the directive of the NSF, DNSU carried out a lightning closure of shops in Dimapur, which was however relaxed immediately for general public conveniences.