Dimapur, December 10 (MExN): The All India Freedom Fighters and Successors Organisation, Nagaland State, President, Zeliezhu Angami on Friday wrote to the Prime Minister of India “to take early action to revoke the draconian law of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1942 (1958) from the NE States as early as possible.”
In connection to the killing of innocent and unarmed fourteen labourers of Oting Village under Mon District, Nagaland by 21st Para Special Forces as well as on retaliatory killing of a para military personnel on December 4 and 5 respectively, the organisation said, “we will not be able to bring back the life of those killed but army have to realize their mistake for murdering of innocent and unarmed brethren. It is not time to argue among ourselves but to learn the lessons and to prepare for protecting our homeland from the external forces.
It mentioned to the PM that the NE sates are the corridors and required special attention for the whole Nation and not a state. If a part of this country suffers, it will affect the whole country.
Further, the PM was informed that it is not only the present incident of December 4 at Oting but “in the past also thousands of innocent people of Nagaland were murdered, many villages were burnt down to ashes, uncountable mothers and sisters were shamelessly raped by the Indian Army, to name few; by misusing the aforesaid Act and caused untold misery to the people of the Nagaland and North East.”
The organisation alleged that “when this part of people protests against killing of the innocent and unarmed people, the Government of India declares them as anti-national or terrorists. But when the Indian Armed Forces randomly murdered or raped the women of Nagaland and North East, we asked for justice; it is a known fact that no single action was taken against any army officer nor any army personnel till today because of this draconian Act; and intentionally murdered democracy and justice.”
“The Government of India needs to address to the genuine demand of the people of the Nagaland and North East States so that the final peace solution between the Naga underground groups and the Government of India can be solved early and amicably,” it added.
NSCN (R): The NSCN (R) led by its President Y Wangtin Naga and Ato-Kilonser P Tikhak has strongly condemned the atrocious and ghastly act of the security forces against the innocent Nagas at Oting and Mon town.
“It is too saddening and painful to see our Naga brothers soaked with blood, killed and maimed by the Indian Army. This incident has once again brought to fore the real face of the Indian jawans and their high-handedness and how AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act) has been misused to harass and battered the life of the Nagas. This is not the first case but, similar instances had happened for many times in the past not only in Naga homeland but, in all of North East India,” it stated.
It reiterated the demand to repeal AFSPA once and for all and punitive action be taken against the erring jawans. “GOl must know that, AFSPA has only widen the gap and grossly misused by the security Forces to earn awards even at the cost of violating human rights,” it stated.
ENWOD: Eastern Nagaland Women Organization Dimapur Unit said that no words could express the grief and pain of such degree of atrocity committed by the senseless and merciless Indian Army. “We pray and hope that the SIT judiciously carry out the investigation and deliver justice to the victims and punish the culprit and the guilty officers, commandos and jawans,” it said.
MYU: Mon Yen Union (MYU) has strongly condemned the act of violence and appealed to the government to deliver justice to the innocent brothers.
“The whole incident of the cold blooded killing of our brothers shows that the existence of the Draconian Armed force special power Acts (1958) has time and again caused irremediable damage to our Naga society. Even though several witnesses and survivors of the fateful evening of 4th December have shares their testimonies, the mainstream news channels and politicians have not left any chances at calling the genocide an act of ‘Self-defence’. It is a shame that this is happening in the world's biggest democracy,’ the union stated.
With immediate effect, due to the sensitivity of the situation and people, MY said, “we feel that the Indian Forces should not move in and around the area of Singphan, Lower Tiru, Upper Tiru, Namtai, Hotahoti, Oting and Pongkong village areas without proper consultation or information.”
“Until and unless the Armed Forces Special Power Act is lifted and their power is limited they will continue to create problems and harass the innocent public of the region,” it stated while demanding the Government of India to withdraw AFSPA and allow the citizen to live peacefully without any affray from the Armed forces.
KVCM and MDVBDA: Konyak Village Councils’ Union (KVCM) and Mon District VDB’s Association (MDVBDA) stated that the security force are deployed to protect the innocent civilian and to safeguard the welfare of the nation, but not to provoke the atmosphere and to kill and injure the innocent citizens of the country.
It asserted that all the deceased and the victims were neither involved to any insurgent or terrorist group nor the enemy of Indian Army or any security force, but they were the innocent civilians as well as the daily wagers. Therefore, the two associations have appealed to all the arm forces to stop killing, harassing and torturing the innocent public of Mon District and Eastern Nagaland in particular and Nagaland State in general.
Moreover, both the associations have appealed the Government of Indian to repeal the AFSPA from Naga Soil and High-Level Special Investigation Team (SIT) must be set-up for immediate investigation of the incident for conveyance of justice as per the law of the land and sentence all the culprit.
IRCSN: Amidst the hue and cry following the Oting massacre at Mon district, the Indian Red Cross Society Nagaland State branch (IRCSN) said it is most unfortunate that the festive season of Christmas and Hornbill festival for the people of Nagaland has been marred by this devastating human tragedy. IRCSN has urged the Government of Nagaland to take all necessary steps to see that this kind of human suffering and loss of life do not ever occur again and in this regard, do everything to repeal the tyrannical Armed forces Special Act (AFSPA) 1958, so as to ensure peace, safety and tranquility for the people of the entire North East region.
NBPU: Nagaland Baptist Pastors Union (NBPU) has appealed to all the churches under NBPU to “pray and seek God’s comfort and rest upon our brothers who are going through untold pains and sorrows.”
NPBU has called upon all the churches to have two minutes of Silent Prayer on December 12 (Sunday) during devotional service to show solidarity, respect and love for our dear Konyak brethren who were killed by Armed forces on the very fateful evening of December 4.
