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Reiterates demand for court monitored probe team
Kohima, December 7 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) today called upon the Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio to convene a Special Session of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly at the earliest to discuss the contentious AFSPA and adopt a resolution to repeal the same.
Thereafter, the resolution should be recommended to the central government, the Federation stated in a press release.
Any representative of the people objecting to such a motion in the State Assembly should be termed as an enemy of the people, it noted.
The NSF’s demand came in the backdrop of the Government of Nagaland (GoN) headed by the Chief Minister Rio asserting “time and again been asserting that they are serious about repealing of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act.”
It resonates well with the Naga people and the Federation strongly demands that this claim is substantiated by convening the Special NLA Session, it asserted.
Meanwhile, the NSF expressed its appreciation to the “humane gesture shown towards the victims of the Oting massacre” by the GoN by canceling all cultural events and festivities during the remaining days of the Hornbill festival.
“This decision of the State Government is well received by the Naga community as a whole,” and indicated that the government of the day is not “totally aloof to the pleas and plight of the people it represents,” it added.
While appreciating the swift action of the government in setting up of the Special Investigating Team (SIT) comprising of “top cops and seasoned bureaucrats” to Oting incident, the Federation also expressed its apprehension over the effectiveness of such a probe team.
Accordingly, the NSF reiterate its earlier stand for constitution of a “court monitored probe team to be headed by a retired Supreme Court/High Court Judge for a thorough, fair, impartial and time bound probe.”
“This is to ensure that justice is not hindered due to the lacunas in the probe,” it added.
The NSF also its gratitude to the general public for extending their fullest co-operation to its 6 hours Total Shut-down call on December 6 in protest against the Oting-Mon incident and to demand for repealing of AFSPA.
However, it flayed the insensitivity of some “Indian Armed personnel whose disregard for the sentiments of the Naga people were, once again, out in full display by attempting to violate the bandh despite expressed appeal to refrain from it.”
“The Federation sincerely appreciates all the brave volunteers who stood their grounds to ensure that the Shut-down is imposed in toto despite the many threats that confronted them,” it added.
The NSF further informed that as part of the 5 days mourning and also in furtherance of the directive issued by the North East Students’ Organization (NESO) for repealing of AFSPA from all North Eastern States, it will organising a peaceful Dharna in Kohima December 9.
Accordingly, it appealed the Naga people to extend their solidarity towards the just cause by turning up for the same in huge number.
“Other details pertaining to the proposed democratic agitation will be made public in due course of time,” it added.
