Kohima: The Nagaland government on Tuesday officially called off the ongoing Hornbill Festival, days after the state plunged into turmoil over the death of 15 people including 14 civilians in firing incidents during a botched up security operation.
The decision to cancel the marquee event that showcases the culture of the Northeastern state was taken in a meeting of the state cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio.
The ten-day festival, being held at Naga Heritage Village in Kisama near the state capital, was slated to end on December 10.
According to official sources, the cabinet meeting reviewed the situation after the firing incidents at Oting Village in Mon district on Saturday and Sunday’s mob attack on the 27 Assam Rifles camp in
Mon town, which left 14 civilians and a security force personnel dead.
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organization (ENPO) – a representative body of six tribes of eastern Nagaland – had earlier directed people to stay away from the festival to express solidarity with the victims.
While 13 villagers including six daily wage labourers of a colliery died in two separate incidents of firing between Tiru and Oting village under Tizit sub-division on Saturday, another villager taking part in a violent protest on Sunday against the incidents was killed in a fresh round of firing by the forces. A soldier also was killed.
