North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has said it was greatly disturbed by the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of India(September 17) , which closed criminal proceedings against military 30 army personnel of the elite 21 Paras involved in the Oting massacre on December 4, 2021, in Mon district, Nagaland when 14 innocent civilians brutally killed.
Expressing shock and disappointment at the court ruling, NESO chairman Samuel B. Jyrwa and secretary general Mutsikhoyo Yhobu in a release lamented that despite the overwhelming evidence presented by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Supreme Court’s decision denied justice to the victims and their grieving families.
The NESO leaders emphasized that the SIT, formed by the Nagaland state government, conducted a thorough investigation, uncovering substantial evidence implicating 30 personnel from the 21 Para (SF), including a senior officer, in the killings. A charge sheet was submitted to the District and Sessions Court of Mon, but the Central government refused to grant the necessary prosecution sanction, effectively halting any legal proceedings against the accused.
According to NESO, this refusal to sanction prosecution undermines the legal process and diminishes the rule of law, particularly in the already sensitive Northeast region. They warned that this decision further alienates the people of the Northeast, who have long endured historical injustices and continued neglect. NESO noted that while the Supreme Court acknowledged the possibility of proceeding with the case if the Centre granted prosecution approval, the current bureaucratic deadlock sends a dangerous message about the value of civilian lives in the region.
NESO resented that the lives of civilians, especially from marginalized communities in the Northeast, were being rendered dispensable under the draconian protection of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA). It also pointed out that the Oting massacre was yet another example of how AFSPA enables acts of violence and impunity, with little to no accountability for those responsible.
NESO said it has long called for the repeal of AFSPA, a law they said only perpetuates violence, human rights violations, and impunity across the Northeast.
They said that the Oting massacre, serves as a tragic reminder of the dangers posed by the law, which has been used to justify egregious acts of violence with no consequences for the perpetrators.
NESO demanded that the Central government immediately sanction the prosecution of the 21 Para (SF) personnel involved in the massacre to ensure justice is delivered to the victims and their families. It also reiterated its long-standing call for the complete repeal of AFSPA in the Northeast, arguing that the law has no place in a democratic society. NESO also cautioned that failure to act will only deepen the existing cycle of mistrust and violence in the region, further alienating the people of the Northeast from the rest of the country.
NESO is represented by apex student organisations across the Northeast and is comprised of several student organizations such as
- All Assam Students’ Union (AASU),
- All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU),
- All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU),
- Garo Students’ Union (GSU),
- Khasi Students’ Union (KSU),
- Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP),
- Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), and
- Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF).