AGAINST:
i. Assam Maintenance of Public Order Act: 1953.
ii. Armed Forces Special Power Act: 1958.
iii. Nagaland Security Regulation Act: 1962. For a Country chasing after its way to be a World Power in Economy and zealously seeking a Permanent UN Security Council Seat in the Comity of the Nations of the World, the dependence on its Military Force for Solution of its Political troubles, is a little incompatible and appear awry for India.
In 2015, last year, the Amnesty International has recorded: “more than 800 cases of torture and deaths in the custody of army and other security forces in the 1990s, and hundreds of other cases of extrajudicial executions and enforced disappearances from 1989 to 2013” in India. This is considerably critical an observation on the Government by a respected neutral Organ of the World. The Respect a Nation commands in the eye of the World depends not only on its Natural endowment, population size or the Economy and the size of its Army, but on many other Issues some important ones of which are: the Equality of life of the People, its treatment of the Minority, Freedom the people enjoy, Education, Health, Justice and the degree of corruption that go to define the quality of Governance.
The existence of Extrajudicial Executions and Enforced Disappearances of the Citizens are two most damning descriptions a Nation can have. It reflects darkly on the Nation and for a respected Neutral International Organ of the World to described India in these Terms is ugly to be honest. In addition, the more than comfortable instances of the Court punishing Members of the Security Forces for Fake Encounters, is a most dishonorable measurement of the behavior of the Security Forces.
The people of the Northeast, particularly of Nagaland and of Manipur very well, have experiences of these bitter and painful aberrations of the Security Forces all these years for more than half a century. It is very natural they vehemently abhor and reject such treatments.
It is most amazing how commonly helpful, friendly and nice Security personnel can suddenly turn into an inhumanly insane animal when endangered. The Trainings of the Security Forces should do well to include Remaining Forcefully Humane in the face of great personal danger. The Recent Civilian deaths in Nagaland in Army’s Hand and later Post mortem findings of bullets entering the deceased from the Back of the body tells the story of the Abominable Snowman, the Yeti, still existing in the Himalaya Mountains!
In 1953 Assam Government pressed its Brand New Armed Assam Police Battalions into then Naga Hills in great expectation of putting down the ‘Misguided Naga Armed Hostiles’. Within less than 2 years they had to be withdrawn with bitter remembrances of the Naga Hills and Battalions after Battalions of Indian Army poured in for their replacement.
The Assam Maintenance of Public Order Act was enacted more than half a Century ago in 1953; it is still running. It was soon followed by the more comprehensive Armed Forces Special Powers Act of 1958, still the Draconian backbone Acts. The Army then greatly hopeful proclaimed Nagaland will soon be made free of “insurgents”. Four years later, Nagaland Security regulation of1962 had to be added, then came the much decorated Gen. Manikshaw who promised the Naga Hostiles will be cleared in One Week.
Many Weeks passed; the renowned Gen. has passed away; many others have come and gone but the dreaded Acts remains detested and bitter. The MPs dreamed the Acts would pave the way for Solutions; in their wildest dreams they did not forsee their actions would turn into Extrajudicial Capital Punishment the Nation is much against. The Parliament has given a Subedar –any Subedar- in the field, a sweeping blind legal document of the Court to summarily award Capital punishment to ANY man or woman the Subedar suspects to be a Terrorist! Can a civilized democratic Nation allow such a summary Power to a mere Armed Security personnel? A Political Problem has no military solution, draconian Acts supporting it may be!
The Army has learned long ago and advised their civilian Bosses in Delhi that the Naga Problem does not have a Military Solution. It is political and must have a political Solution. The Civilian Government does not have high a respect for their Military but they fear the Military also and so every Politician began to say what the Security personnels have said -Naga Problem is Political and must be solved Politically.
But the Politician-Bureaucrat combine of India unconsciously wants the Naga Problem to be solved by their Security Forces. India still imagines its Military to solve the Naga political Problem.
The evergreen Congress Leader of Kashmir Mr. Gulam Nabi Azad, recently advised the Prime Minister Modi to win the Kashmiri hearts than cower them with the Security Force.
India can never win the Northeast by Draconian Acts supporting their Security Force. This system of dealing the Naga and the Manipur situations with Security Forces fortified with draconian Acts have already been discarded by the Military Establishment themselves; but they are not sure of themselves and are still afraid of the situation unless they have the legal documents in their Pockets!
In the Naga case, such abhorrent Acts will in future generations produce only educated middle Class, Home-grown-affluent-movement in favor of NAGA SOVEREIGNTY Mr. RN. Ravi, the Interlocutor between GoI and the IM has himself recently said should continue. The Naga will never settle for a Dalit Status in India.
Thepfulhouvi Solo
