W. Wangjin
On December 4, while the daily wage coal miners were returning to their families, a home they called, in a massacre, they were killed by the 21 Para military of the Indian army. Their attempt to hide and dispose the dead and an intention to get away without any remorse and moral responsibilities is the reflection of their deepest insanity. The rest is a living memory and rightly termed the ‘Black Sunday’. To remind the readers, some were students, and one got married two days before his gruesome killing. The rest were the only bread earners in the family, thanks to the coal mine at Tiru.
The incident is not an isolated case but calculated atrocities perpetuated on the civilians with peaceful Oting village as a theatre of this murder by Indian army. The Indian army claimed to have ‘credible intelligence’ of the movement of insurgents but also added it was case of ‘mistaken identity’. A credible intelligence of identities mixed up, which is a wicked humour on the credibility of the establishment itself. The massacre of innocent civilians only reflects the weaknesses of the minds, moral and intelligence. The so called ‘Special force’ has become a mockery in the eyes of the world. If their ‘credible intelligence’ cannot distinguish between civilians and militants in their domestic operation, their claims of surgical strike and capabilities is a questionable claim.
One must look back at the roots of this impunity. AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Power Act), 1958, was enforced to tackle the issue of insurgency in Northeast India. The Act authorizes the armies to arrest any persons, kill with impunity on a mere ground of suspicions. It is simply a mirror of ‘Rowlatt Act’ 1919, which the Indian nationalists under Mahatma Gandhi fought tooth and nail against the British. With the same Act, atrocities were perpetuated at Jallianwala Bagh on the peaceful gatherings of the Indians and the same Act, India continues to use on the Nagas with simply another infamous name AFSPA. This draconian law (AFSPA) which defined the state as being ‘disturbed’ has in reality itself become a ‘perpetrator’ of violence and unrest- a tool of killing spree by the Army. Everyone knows, it is draconian law and must be removed. But to be relevant for the armies, AFSPA must stay. Without wars, without power, they become irrelevant. AFSPA grants them exactly, the impunity of power to abuse the innocents, and to remain relevant.
The aftermath of these killings saw the Naga society coming in solidarity. A candle light vigil was organised in different towns and cities, while many participants abstained from further activities at Hornbill festival. It also witnessed vandalism of Konyak Union office and Assam Rifle camp. Condemnation and condolences notes poured in, and finally public funeral program organised on the 6th December. This was attended by dignitaries of Government agencies and civil societies. Benefits such as ex gratia, government job to the kin of the victims were promised. There was a chorus for repealing of AFSPA and a chorus on ‘forgiveness and non-retaliation’. But the speakers failed to mention that this gesture shown by the Nagas must not be seen as a sign of ‘weaknesses’ but a sign of ‘strength’, the strength to overcome all odds as our grandparents and our parents have overcome since 1958. The dead will not be forgotten, the Nagas will live on, and we shall overcome someday.
