Oting Students’ Union (OSU) has expressed dismay at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s silence over the killing of 14 innocent Konyak civilians on December 4 and 5, 2021.
While conveying condolences to bereaved families of the 12 killed in stampede at Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu & Kashmir on behalf of the Oting victims’ family members, the union asked why the Prime Minister was so adamant or reluctant to issue a simple sympathy and condolence message when 14 innocent Konyak youth were massacred.
In a press release, OSU president Keatwang Konyak wondered whether India was not a secular State and whether Konyaks were not Indian citizens in the eyes of Modi. OSU said few words of solace from the Prime Minister’s mouth would have comforted them a lot.
Referring to Indian Army’s court of inquiry team’s visit to ground zero Yatong on December 29, 2021 and Tizit on the subsequent day, OSU said when the victims’ families were hoping for justice and placed all hopes on the ongoing investigation, they were shocked at the locals being tagged as non-cooperative.
The union asserted that no official intimation was given to OSU except a request by superintendent of police (SP) Mon seeking permission for the army enquiry team’s visit to ground zero only.
Accordingly, OSU said the Konyak civil society organisations (CSOs) had granted permission in spite of their “non-cooperation” against the Indian armed forces in order to pave the way for the inquiry team to visit the site and find the actual truth, on condition that they should visit without arms or uniform. OSU said the people of Oting had complied with the request with utmost respect in spite of the pain that had been inflicted upon them.
However, OSU said they came to learn that the investigation team had reportedly refused to talk or listen to other witnesses available at ground zero. The union said the team only interacted and recorded the statement of BJP Mon district president Nyawang Konyak and Lenwang Konyak, CHM, on December 29, 2021.
Demands clarification: Refuting a news filed by Press Trust of India (PTI) on December 30, 2021 that the locals had refused to cooperate with the inquiry team, OSU termed it as totally fictitious distorting the truth.
OSU said such “malicious venom” was nothing but a bid to make the aspirations of victims’ family members for a justice a distant dream.
Stating that the report was a distortion of truth and totally uncalled for, OSU said it had confused the world and demanded corrigendum from the news agency on or before January 10, 2022.
In the event of any untoward situation, OSU declared that the news agency would be held solely responsible.
The union further appealed to the inquiry team to interact and record statements of the two survivors of December 4 massacre, who were shifted back to Mon from Dibrugarh Medical College & Hospital, statement of ex-army man Chongmoi Konyak who was injured, interact with doctors of DHM who had conducted post mortem on December 5, investigate Mon district administration and law enforcing authority and interact and investigate Konyak CSOs, if required.
OSU further appealed to the State government to consider not only the dying and injured, but also accommodate the survivors of Oting massacre who would have to live with handicaps all through their lives.