Assam violence: Nagaland rush to hoard essential items

With protests against the amended Citizenship Act raging across the northeast, people of Nagaland, who had been busy all of last week celebrating Hornbill Festival, were seen rushing to goods stores on Friday to hoard essential items, amid tension that curfew in neighbouring Assam might hit supplies.

As Assam happened to be the lifeline of Nagaland when it came to supply of essential commodities, people were skeptical they might have to face food and medicine shortage in the days to come, official sources said.

Long queues were also witnessed at fuel outlets in state capital Kohima and commercial hub Dimapur, with most of the pumps drying up by noon.

Allaying fears, Principal Secretary (home) Abhijit Sinha told PTI that the Indian Oil Corporation depot in Dimapur has been stocked up to last a few days.

"Petrol pumps may have dried up in several places due to the rise in demand, but the deposit in IOC Dimapur wouldn't run out of stock in the next few days," he said, adding that fresh supply would reach the state soon through rail route.

On essential commodities, Sinha claimed that the state had enough in store for now, and there was no reason for people to panic.

The senior official also said that special trains have been arranged to ferry Nagaland-bound passengers stranded in various stations across Assam.

He expressed hope that the situation in the neighbouring state would be brought under control soon.

Assam has plunged into chaos with thousands of anti- Citizenship Act agitators descending on streets defying curfew, thumbing their nose at Army contingents staging flag marches, and clashing with police across cities.

President Ram Nath Kovind had on Thursday gave his assent to the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019, turning it into an Act. According to an official notification, the Act comes into effect with its publication in the official gazette on Thursday.