Sümi Hoho and its frontal organisations including Sümi Kükami Hoho, Sümi Kiphimi Küqhakulu, accompanied by the church leaders of Sümi Baptist Akukuhou Küqhakulu (SBAK) - Nito Mount visited Mon town on December 8 to pay homage to the families of the victims murdered by the Indian security forces and to extend solidarity to the Konyak people. The team had a meeting with the Konyak Union and its frontal organisations where it expressed strongest of resentment over the December 4, Oting village of Mon district incident. The team conveyed its strong solidarity and also assured every support to the Konyak brothers. (Photo Courtesy: Sümi Hoho)
Medziphema Town Sumi Students’ Union with Ao Students’ Union Medziphema Town on Tuesday conducted candle solidarity march as a condolence to the 14 innocent brothers who were brutally killed on December 4 and 5 at Oting and headquarter of Mon district.
Dimapur, December 8 (MExN): Condemnation and condolences continue to pour in for the December 4 incident in Oting village under Mon district where civilians were killed by security forces. Several organisations and individuals are also demanding the Government of India to revoke the Armed Forces Special Power Act from the NE region.
KVSU: “We refuse to remain under oppressive AFSPA anymore,” Kongan Village Students Union (KVSU) asserted while terming the Oting incident as “an intended act of murder” with sole motive to invoke chaos to the peace loving Naga society who has been yarning for peace for many decades now. It therefore demanded stringent punishment to those criminals as per existing law.
“Recalling all atrocities meted to Naga populace the Union term Armed Forces Special Power Act as an insane act enforced only to be tortured and be murdered in its own father's land therefore, the Union strongly urged Government of Nagaland to press to repeal AFSPA at the earliest keeping in view the future of peace loving Naga citizen,” it stated.
It also urged all right thinking citizen to strongly condemn the criminal act committed on December 4 by the Para Special Forces and to strongly demand for the revocation of AFSPA.
WASU: “Sadly, once again, the land and the people have been reminded and glaringly made to witness the existence of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) and the impunity it gives to the armed forces against every form of human rights violations every single time,” said Wakching Area Students’ Union (WASU).
The union questioned the continuance of such a draconian law that has unleashed, untold or unreported atrocities and harassment as well as the lost of several lives across generations and for several decades now. In this regard, WASU would like to make its demand straight and clear – Revoke and Remove AFSPA immediately and until that happens, justice will not have been served.
WASU appeals to all unions and organizations within and beyond Nagaland to stand united in this struggle and continue to work towards the complete removal of AFSPA.
GPRN/NSCN President: GPRN/NSCN, President, Gen (Retd) MB Neokpao Konyak in a condolence message said that “a nation of mighty forces who profess themselves as thorough professionals in full combat gears trapped the defenseless daily bread earners in a coordinated ambush and spontaneous waylaid the enraged villagers resulted in mass killing was an apparent act of genocide.”
Neokpao said, “No matter how cleverly the perpetrators defend the indefensible; their inglorious actions have proven them terribly wrong. The fallacy of deceits and animosity of the adversary has in contrast, enriched the Naga Rights for generations to be immortalized.”
He said that the contribution of the Konyak in nation building has definitely irked the Naga adversaries to go against our wishes. “It is in fact, embolden my commitment to serve my beloved people with renewed vigour,” Neokpao asserted.
He added “ever since, the Naga people firmly withstood on the ground defending of what was inherently ours, we the Konyak equally faced the brunt of aggressor’s aggressive transgressions in every sphere. And what had happened with the Konyak’s today is nothing less than sacrifice for the Nagas. Despite of shortcomings, I firmly believe that our living God will put the Naga’s adversaries to shame.”
NNC: NNC has strongly condemned the “dastardly actions and heinous crimes perpetrated by the Indian Army” under the protection of the AFSPA. It said that, the “NNC is surprised that the Government of India, the so called biggest Democracy in the world continues to enforce obsolete and Draconian Laws which has no place in any modern civilized nations of the world like AFSPA, giving its armed forces to act with impunity without any regard for human rights and human lives.”
Legislatures of Mon district: Legislatures of Mon district in their condemnation stated that ‘the security force has deployed to protect the innocent civilian and to safeguard the welfare of the nation, but not to provoke the situation/atmosphere and to kill and injure the innocent citizens of the country.’ “Remember, the civilian is not an enemy of Indian Army or any security force.
herefore, the undersigned has 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,” the legislatures stated in a press release. The statement was appended by P Paiwang, Noke Konyak, Pohwang, N Bongkhao Konyak, EE Pangteang, CL John, N Thongwang, YM Yollow and E Eshak
PSUK: Phom Students Union Kohima (PSUK) in its condemnation said, “India being a Democratic country should take this incident as a fiasco to the bulwark of our democracy which stands to safeguard every right of its citizens.” It urged the state and Union government to bring about expeditious solution in its highest capabilities by revoking the AFSPA Act of 1958 which is only “harbouring horror and injustice in the state.”
MKPON: Mech Kachari Public Organisation Nagaland (MKPON) vehemently condemning the killing of the innocent civilians also expressed deep sorrow on the atrocities upon our fellow Konyak brothers and convey deepest condolences to the bereaved families. The organisation also hoped that the government take up the issue seriously and also deliver justice to the bereaved families and the whole community.
DMC: Dimapur Meetei Council (DMC) affirmed that it always stands against the draconian law AFSPA and demand the withdrawal of the act from entire Northeast India. DMC expressed solidarity and deepest condolence to the bereaved families who lost their near and dear ones in the tragic incident.
WAPO: Western Angami Public Organisation (WAPO) in its condemnation alleged that the Indian Government since early 50s had been practicing gun culture to intimidate the Naga to surrender their sovereign rights under AFSPA. The organisation stated that thousands of innocent civilians were tortured and killed. The present Oting incident is not a new incident for the Nagas since such acts have been the practice of the Indian Government. It appealed the Indian Government to “quit all her occupational Forces from the Land of the Nagas so that Nagas can live peacefully without fear and intimidation.”
MTSSU: Medziphema Town Sumi Student Union (MTSSU) stated that it is beyond comprehension and unimaginable that “such indiscriminate brutal murder could be committed by the security forces who are supposed to be the protectors of the citizens. It is a total violation of human rights and gross disregard of human lives which must be condemned in the strongest terms.” MTSSU with the rest of the Naga in solidarity with Konyak brothers affirmed “in seeking justice at the highest order for the barbaric act that deserves no plea for mercy.”
