The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) had earlier submitted representation to the Hon’ble Governor of Nagaland dated 14/6/2016, for revocation of the AFSPA together to do away with the “Power to declare areas to be disturbed areas”, and similar representation to the hon’ble Chief Minister of Nagaland along with other issues, dated 18th March 2017, and urges upon the highest authority of this great Democratic Country of the world to use your wisdom and revoke the aforementioned Act once and for all in order to restore confidence of the victimised people of Nagaland in particular and the Northeast in general, and the mainland India.
That all the time without any proper ground reality assessment the GOI invokes the draconian Section of the Act declares the entire Nagaland to be disturbed areas then liberalises operation authorising Armed Forces to enforce AFSPA in their own willingness on the pretext of dealing with insurgency whereby the innocent civilian becomes the victim(s).
In fact the entire Nagaland is now peaceful area as all NPGs from Nagaland have Ceasefire with the GOI, and there is no reason why AFSPA 1958 with the section to declare areas as “disturbed areas” should remain in the state of Nagaland. The State is under the bond of peaceful ceasefire for the last twenty four years.
There was even a big announcement made on the Naga Political issue and its solution by no less a person than the hon’ble Prime Minister of India during the inauguration of the Hornbill Festival at Kisama on 1st December 2015, as saying “Solution within 18 months…” Dialogue between GOI and NPGs have also been culminated on “31st October 2019” with agreed points for settlement, considering “all unresolved matters shall be pursued through democratic political process post-solution”.
The Naga people are eagerly expecting Naga Political Solution before Christmas, as “Christmas gift” and as assured by both the GOI representatives for Naga peace talks and State Political leaders.
However, to the contrary Nagas have been presented with the ruthless massacred of our thirteen unarmed Konyak Naga innocent brothers in cold blood and several other civilians left injured with bullet wounds by the Indian Armed Forces at Oting village area in Mon district on 4th December 2021 whereby many have become orphaned and widows under the shadow of AFSPA.
Terming the incident as unfortunate, mistaken identity or regret by any authority is unqualified but the armed security forces responsible for the criminal act committed to the innocent Oting Villagers must be brought to book in the interest of justice without delay. The charter of demands for the victimized people must also be fulfilled at the earliest.
The same style of atrocities on innocent public had been committed even to the extent of defying the sanctity of worship places by the Indian Armed Forces in the State of Nagaland for over sixty years which should not be allowed to happen again. These ghastly incidents have now gone
The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) questions the wisdom of government of India as to how ceasefires entered into and political dialogue continued. However, without arriving at the assured Political solution with the agreed points that is honourable and acceptable but its legal weapons such as AFSPA and all anti-terror laws are forced on the people giving the armed forces special powers to search, raid and arrest without a warrant, causing untold hardship and putting law and order in peril as though it is a terrorist infested State.
“In other words, Olive branches are offered to peace loving Naga people where its citizens are happy as peaceful atmosphere and tranquillity emerges in the land on one hand, whereas war has even been waged against the innocent civilians during ceasefire period of time as well on the other”.
Peace and War are never of the same, and the two cannot go together. Unless AFSPA is revoked the trigger happy armed forces are bound to abuse the provisions of the Act.
Nagas are not wild animals or beast so that we are hunted down at the whims of the Indian armed forces. We are also a human like anyone else in the mainland.
Therefore, if peace is to be given a place, civilian killing and atrocities has to pave the way. Similarly, if GOI is at all honest and sincere at ceasefire and dialogue, the Disturb Area Tag, and the AFSPA 1958 an action of suppression, cannot be imposed on Nagaland any longer. This double standard policy of GOI proves that Nagaland was brought to its Union to be suppressed indefinitely.
The Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC), therefore, urges your honour to take immediate steps and impress upon the GOI to revoke extension of ‘terrorism tag’, disturb areas, and AFSPA 1958 in the entire state of Nagaland forthwith.
NTC president, Toniho Yepthomi, NTC general secretary, Nribemo Ngullie
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