Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) Wednesday announced plans to hold a mega rally in Kohima on December 17, 2021 to demand the repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, from Naga inhabited areas.
The rally would begin at Old MLA hostel junction, Kohima at 11 a.m. and after a short programme, the rallyists would proceed to Raj Bhavan and plans to submit a memorandum to the president and prime minister through the governor.
Announcing this during a press conference at hotel Japfü here, NSF president Kegwayhun Tep said the rally was being organised to confront the issues that were affecting the Nagas.
He said the federation was expecting Kohima-based civil society organisations, unions and the general population to take part in the rally. He said NSF would continue to fight till AFSPA was repealed.
Rally organising committee convenor Vipopal Kintso said that Nagas were fed up of living under the yoke of AFSPA. “How long can we continue to be dehumanised and treated as subhumans?” Kintso questioned.
He said the main objective of the rally was to show to the world that AFSPA did not deserve a place in Nagaland.
The convenor said that for so long Nagas had suffered under the draconian law while most of the sufferings in past went under-reported.
He said Nagas were choked by the Act and that it was high time government of India realized this mistreatment and repeal the Act. He appealed to all the citizens of Kohima to come forward and show their solidarity and voice out against AFSPA.
He reiterated that all citizens of Kohima were invited to join the rally.
Committee member Neizovotuo Belho said the timing of the rally was set in such a way that no inconveniences were created to the general population.
Some educational institutions are conducting exams and also office goers could go to their offices before the rally starts, Belho said.
Higher secondary students participating could join the rally in their school uniforms while various tribes could attend with a traditional touch, the organisers informed.
Asked whether NSF had set any timeline for the Act to be repealed, Kintso said there were no such thing. However, he said it would reveal the sincerity of government of India in regard to the matter.
Although ceasefire had been in place for a long time now, Kintso said the draconian act had not been repealed, which he maintained “depicts the insincerity of government of India.”
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