DIMAPUR, DECEMBER 17 (MExN): The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has submitted a representation to the President of India calling for the revocation of the Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act (AFSPA) and removal of the ‘Disturbed Act’ tag from Nagaland.
The NTC said that doing so would restore confidence of the victimised people of Nagaland in particular and the Northeast in general.
“All the time without any proper ground reality assessment the GOI invokes the draconian section of the Act; declares the entire Nagaland to be disturbed areas; then liberalises operation authorising Armed Forces to enforce AFSPA in their own willingness on the pretext of dealing with insurgency whereby the innocent civilian becomes the victim(s),” the NTC stated.
It said that the entire Nagaland is “now peaceful area as all Naga political groups from Nagaland have ceasefire with the GOI.”
“The Naga people are eagerly expecting Naga Political Solution before Christmas, as Christmas gift and as assured by both the GOI representatives for Naga peace talks and State Political leaders. However, to the contrary Nagas have been presented with the ruthless massacre of our thirteen unarmed Konyak Naga innocent brothers in cold blood and several other civilians left injured with bullet wounds by the Indian Armed Forces,” the NTC said.
It added that terming the incident as unfortunate or a case of mistaken identity “is unqualified.” It demanded that the armed forces responsible for the criminal act must be brought to book.
“The same style of atrocities on innocent public had been committed even to the extent of defying the sanctity of worship places by the Indian Armed Forces in the State of Nagaland for over sixty years which should not be allowed to happen again. These ghastly incidents have now gone into the annals of Indian Army atrocities in the State,” the NTC stated.
It questioned the wisdom of the Government of India as to how ceasefires were entered into and political dialogue continued when legal weapons such as AFSPA and all anti-terror laws are forced on the people giving the armed forces special powers to search, raid and arrest without a warrant, causing untold hardship and putting law and order in peril.
“In other words, olive branches are offered to peace loving Naga people where its citizens are happy as peaceful atmosphere and tranquility emerges in the land on one hand, whereas war has been waged against the innocent civilians during ceasefire period of time as well on the other,” the NTC observed.
It stated that unless AFSPA is revoked, “the trigger happy armed forces are bound to abuse the provisions of the Act.”
If the GOI is at all honest and sincere in the ceasefire and dialogue process, the NTC said that the ‘Disturbed Area’ tag and AFSPA cannot be imposed on Nagaland any longer. “This double standard policy of GOI proves that Nagaland was brought to its union to be suppressed indefinitely,” the NTC said, and urged the President to take immediate steps and impress upon the GOI to revoke extension of the “terrorism tag, disturbed area, and AFSPA 1958 in the entire state of Nagaland forthwith.”
