Suthozu (Phek), June 6: This village was set ablaze thrice in the mid-1950s and stories of alleged torture of its residents by the army are still passed down by old-timers to the younger generation. But Suthozu is changing both in appearance and attitude: the Assam Rifles adopted it recently as part of its “model village” project. Last week, it was almost a convergence of interests as villagers and security personnel intermingled freely at the village.
Kulhusho Nyekha, at 67 a venerable gaonburha (village elder), recalls the army excesses in “those bad days”, but is quick to point out that the healing process has begun. In 1954, the village was one of the “headquarters” of the army, then involved in an offensive against Naga insurgents.
On Thursday, Nyekha thanked the Assam Rifles and the state government for the work they were doing to make residents of the hamlet self-sufficient. As clouds enveloped the area, scores of villagers squatted on the ground, waiting for the helicopter that would bring Assam Rifles director-general, Lt Gen. Bhupinder Singh, for the inauguration of the community hall.
The helicopter did take off from Kohima, but the flight was aborted midway because of inclement weather. Gen. Singh was to hand over keys to five new houses to people who had donated land for the community hall.
Though a trifle disappointed over the Assam Rifles director-general’s visit being cancelled, Nyekha and the other residents agreed they had a lot to cheer about. “We are thankful to all concerned for the manner in which they have changed our village. Back in the Fifties, we saw our people being tortured. But we have already forgiven them,” he said.
The Assam Rifles and the state government have spent Rs 20 lakh on building the new community hall, setting up a vocational training institute and developing the village playground. A Joint Venture Welfare Society has been set up, too, to market products like woollen sweaters and wooden handicrafts made at the institute.
“They (the villagers) are now on their own. These are their assets and they should be in charge,” Maj. C. Rajagopal, who inaugurated phase one of the project, said.
The officer was the architect of the project and played the key role in its implementation.