Chakhesang youth body to begin indefinite picketing at Nagaland Forest offices from Oct 12

The Centre Chakhesang Youth Organisation (CCYO) will begin indefinite picketing at three Forest Department offices in Nagaland’s Phek district from October 12, escalating its agitation over the detention of youth leader Vezhoto Hesuh and other grievances concerning the enforcement of wildlife laws.

The second phase of the agitation will begin at 10 am at the offices of the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO), Phek, Forest Range Office, Phek, and Forest Range Office, Pfutsero, the organisation said in a statement.

The CCYO said the agitation was aimed at seeking justice, accountability and transparency, besides securing respect for the customary rights, traditions and institutions of the Chakhesang people.

The organisation said its first-phase non-cooperation movement against the Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department would continue. It has also maintained that the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, would not be enforced in its area until its demands are addressed.

The CCYO’s escalation follows a seven-day ultimatum issued to the state government on September 28 after a rally in Pfutsero over the case involving Hesuh and the seizure of a Great Barbet from Porba village.

The organisation had alleged that Hesuh was summoned by the Wildlife Crime Control Unit (WCCU), Wildlife Division, Dimapur, on September 11 over photographs and videos uploaded on his Facebook account and was subsequently detained. It also alleged that Rs 1 lakh was demanded for his release. The allegations have not been independently established.

According to the CCYO, the Great Barbet had been found injured by a minor boy while returning from the fields and was subsequently cared for by the family for several years. The organisation said the bird was traditionally regarded by the community as a natural clock and companion of the village.

The Forest Department returned the Great Barbet to the community on September 30, and the bird was subsequently released in the Porbami Reserved Forest. The department has described the return as a confidence-building measure aimed at de-escalating the situation.

However, the CCYO said other demands remained pending, prompting it to intensify the agitation.

The organisation also announced that its ban on hunting within the Centre Chakhesang jurisdiction would remain in force from October 9, following the conclusion of Wildlife Week. It said the decision was taken in consultation with its parent bodies, the Chakhesang Public Organisation (CPO) and Chakhesang Youth Front (CYF).

The CCYO has appealed to youth and residents of Phek and Pfutsero to support the agitation while maintaining peace, discipline and dignity.

The state Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department has meanwhile said it is seeking to resolve the impasse. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force Vedpal Singh said the department was making efforts to find a solution, describing the ongoing non-cooperation movement as unfortunate.

The latest development sets the stage for a fresh confrontation between the Chakhesang youth body and the Forest Department over wildlife law enforcement, customary practices and the handling of the Hesuh case.