A day after Assam Rifles clarified on the alleged desecration of a Church by its troopers, the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) Sunday hit back saying that desecrating of religious places was not new to the Indian armed forces.
Desecration of religious place by security forces took place not only in Christian Churches, but can be witnessed in “Operation Bluestar” carried out by Indian military forces and many others across India, said NPMHR in a press statement.
NPMHR also recalled the incident of July 11, 1971, where four teenage girls (all below 18 years) were alleged to have been tortured and raped from the pulpit of Yankeli Baptist Christian Church, under Wokha district by security forces.
The October 22 incident was a reminder to the Nagas, how 28th Assam Rifles forcefully occupied the Mekokla Baptist Church and its guest house, and carried out attacked on a group of Naga army, who were in Ceasefire truce with the government of India.
The human rights body also dismissed AR’s claim that they “have immense respect for all religions and will never take any step or action to disrespect any religious place of worship”, and said that the perpetrators were non-other than the AR.
In this regard, NPMHR questioned AR that whether there was any other higher level of arrogance that adds salts to fresh injury and insults human intelligence of the highest degree?
The right body argued that the recent forceful occupation of religious places at Mekokla was a grim reminder that the war against Naga people was taking place every day in all kinds.
It stated that these kinds of human rights violations and psychological abuses have rekindled horrible memories in India’s occupational war against the Nagas for nearly a century.
Instead, NPMHR claimed that the “occasional so-called Ceasefires and Peace Talks”, have given full freedom to the Indian military to do anything and everything with full impunity under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
It stated that AR’s motto “Friends of the Hill People” was the biggest insult to all peoples of North East India.
NPMHR went on to allege that ever since the Indian military set foot to Nagaland, Naga people has seen sufferings and inhuman atrocities.
As a vigilant group, NPMHR vowed to continue with its struggle against “never-ending violations, through democratically available means of protests”.
In this regard, NPMHR took legal course and petitioned to the Supreme Court against the violation of human rights in Naga areas that included desecration of churches and educational institutions.
And in the judgement (NPMHR and others Vs union on February 14, 1983), the Supreme Court observed: “It is alleged by Mr. Venugopal who appears on behalf of the petitioners that Churches and educational institutions have been used and are being used by the army as camping grounds and for the purpose of interrogating and detaining people. The learned Attorney General on behalf of the Union of India refused this allegation and contents that the record before us will show that this allegation is not justified. It is impossible for us at this stage to examine whether the allegations made by the petitioners is well-founded, but we direct on the supposition that it is well-founded that the army authorities shall not use and church or educational institutions for the purpose of setting up any camp and for the purpose of interrogating and detaining people”.
In the light of the above, NPMHR claimed that the shameless action of 28 Assam Rifles had violated the Supreme Court’s directive.
Further, NPMHR said it was encouraged by positive response from Naga public through various civil society organizations including church and students, who have demonstrated against the evil action of 28 AR.
“We must continue to inculcate and remain steadfast to the values of human rights, to protest and fight back when called upon to defend the brutal prosecution of our people”, NPMHR said.
If also urged the government of India to recall its forced military occupation of Naga areas.
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