Awaken India Movement (AIM), Kohima chapter held a peaceful demonstration under the theme “Justice for Kartika- Children are precious” at Old MLA hostel junction, here, on Saturday.
Main appeals for the demonstration were: informed consent for vaccination as a human right, transparent media campaign informing public about potential health/life risk involved in taking Covid-19 vaccines, easy access to AEFI registration and follow-up through cowin portal and helpline no-1075, no vaccination for those immune after natural infection and promote natural ways to build immunity, no coercion or discrimination based on vaccination status, stop all covid vaccine trials and rollouts for children as they have innate natural immunity against Covid-19, ban of age-restrict Covishield as done in 20+ developed countries.
Leading the demonstration, New Life Church pastor, Azahto Kiba said that Nagas were bold in greed and selfishness however no one was willing to stand for the truth and their rights and questioned as to why the government was imposing vaccination on the people.
Azahto called upon the people to believe that God was in control.
Speaking on the legal aspects, advocate Neiteo Koza said forceful vaccination was illogical and unconstitutional which violated the basic inherent rights of the people.
She said the policy for mandatory vaccination and testing in Nagaland took away the right of the citizens for self-determination, right to life and personal liberty.
Neiteo added that these policies were affecting people and making them suffer silently and that the pinch was felt more intensely among economically weaker section of the society.
She pointed out a person from unorganised sector with an income of Rs 3-5 thousand had to shell out half of their income for covid testing just because they were not vaccinated.
She said similar policies were introduced in other North Eastern states but their respective High Courts had intervened and ruled that such draconian policies of making Covid-19 vaccination mandatory as unconstitutional.
Neiteo added that in a democratic country like India, policy makers had constitutional obligations to protects and enforce the rights of people and not take it away.
Other speakers at the demonstration included Nagamese Baptist Church, High School, pastor Khi Peter on the topic “covid from Biblical aspect” and evangelist Dieze Iralu on the topic “covid and the economic and adverse side effects”.
Hundreds of people from all walks of life participated in the demonstration which ended with a mass prayer.