Newmai News Network
Senapati | March 19
The United Naga Council (UNC) said it was aghast at the recent incident of the “belligerent provocation by the 6th Assam Rifles unleashing indiscriminate firing of live bullets upon the Naga civilians especially the Naga women folks” at Chingkao (Makuai) village, Tamenglong district on March 14.
In a statement issued today, the UNC said that, in no uncertain terms, the Naga body condemned the “heinous act” of the Assam Rifles, “disrupting” the peaceful atmosphere in the area. “Such chilling campaigns of the Indian security forces under the patronisation of the Government of India, waging undeclared war upon the Naga people have been going on for decades without ceasing under the draconian law of AFSPA, 1958”, the UNC alleged. “It is one of the cruelest crimes a mighty India has committed before the world in the history of mankind”, it added.
With time and the change of leadership in the helm of the Union of India, Naga people expected and hoped for a change -forging towards a logical resolution of the political issue between the “two entities and treating each other with human dignity and with mutual trust and respect,” the UNC said. However, it maintained that “wanton killings, chilling military campaigns in Naga areas and often betrayal and backtracking on the part of the Government of India remains constant till today which is truly disheartening”.
At this prevalent situation in the “present state of Manipur, far and wide”, the UNC pointed out that “roaming with arms and in camouflage-uniforms, killings, extortions and intimidations by both the warring communities right under the nose of the Indian security forces” have been continuing for ten months. Relative peace can be only seen in the Naga villages in Manipur all this time, it said, posing, “Now, the question is what has prompted the Assam Rifles to target the peaceful Naga civilians? What could be their intention?”
Accordingly, the UNC urged the Government of India to take necessary steps to stop “all these unwarranted provocations” once and for all.
It also demanded for initiation of befitting action against the “reckless officers” responsible for the occurrence of the said incident. “Let us give peace a chance. Therefore, all the Nagas are cautioned to remain steadfast and vigil against all the evil forces looming around us.”
ANSAM: While outrightly rejecting the extension and enforcement of the Armed Forces Special Powers' Act (AFSPA), 1958, in "Naga homeland,” the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) condemned, in the strongest terms, the alleged “indiscriminate firing of gun” by AR trooper on women folks.
It has created a nuisance atmosphere of fragile peace in the area, the ANSAM said in a statement.
"Such an archaic attempt and unlawful activities towards the innocent Nagas are the crystal evidences of Indian armed machineries misusing their power under the draconian law of AFSPA, 1958, towards the innocent Nagas taking advantage of the incompatibility of the AFSPA with domestic law and international law granting impunity to the army officers and perpetrators of the crimes from prosecution with judicial remedy running at a peacefully slow pace and the condemnation becoming like a tradition and lip service today,” it added.
According to the Naga student body, despite the other instances of abuse of "AFSPA power and the numerous protests sprinkled for the revocation and repealing of this draconian law in Naga homeland, the AFSPA’s existence flouts and the denial of the Government of India to hear the voice of the people has created a considerable room for human rights violation in the pretext of protection by its enforcement in peace areas.” The ANSAM also noted that Nagas have been maintaining peace by extending fullest cooperation to the call for peace with all encompassing efforts to restore the situation back to its normalcy during this volatile situation. "The notoriety and intentional attempt of the Assam Rifles towards the Nagas by indiscriminate gun firing on women folks at Chingkao village is highly condemnable and questionable as to why they failed to intervene for peace between the two warring communities and targeted the Nagas who have been maintaining peace in the state,” it added.
The ANSAM further expressed its strong resentment against such an "intentional attempt of the Government of India and such senseless sponsored violence and apathy of Assam Rifles towards the Nagas should not be repeated in the near future".
Hence, it demanded repeal ‘draconian’ AFSPA Naga homeland and asserted that India should uphold the “principle of democracy as known to be the world’s largest democratic country".
