Nagaland Unrest: Repeal for AFSPA renews following Mon firing incident

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• Dec 6, 2021 | moderator

Kohima: The Nagaland government has announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the kin of the 14 youths who were killed during an 'ambush' by the armed forces on Saturday.

A counter-insurgency operation led by an elite unit of the Indian Army’s Para Special Forces in Nagaland went wrong on Saturday.

The Nagaland police stated that they had not received any information from the special Army unit before the operation. Neither took any police guide for the counter-insurgency operation in the Mon district that borders Myanmar.

While attending the funeral of civilians killed in the firing at Oting in Mon district, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio demanded the removal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA. Neiphiu Rio said the Act was enforced to tackle insurgency, then why is it not being removed now.

Also read: Nagaland Unrest: More than 500 protesters storm into Assam Rifles camp, one civilian dead

The Indian Army's 3 Corps based in Dimapur has begun an internal inquiry headed by a Major General rank officer in connection with the Nagaland firing incident, sources said. The probe will look into the sequence of events leading to the firing incident.

Officials said Para Special Forces were brought in for operation from Assam based on specific intelligence about the movement of NSCN (K-YA) cadres.

"Barrel-like image was caught in the surveillance before they got on to the vehicle. It was probably a hunting rifle commonly used by villagers here," said an official privy to the details.

Sources said the vehicle was intercepted but it didn't stop. The Army party fired at them, killing 6 and 2 injured.

"Realising they targeted the wrong people, the Army party asked for back up and evacuated the two injured in their vehicles and were taken finally to Dibrugarh," the official said.

The influential Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) appealed to all Naga tribes to not celebrate the ongoing Hornbill Festival in the state capital.

“It is a taboo in our Naga tradition to be feasting, while we mourn our dead in our homes. Let the world know our grief and sorrow and may our voices of protest be heard against the continuing militarization and killings under AFSPA,” NMA president Abeiu Meru said in a release.

The organisation demanded that the state government take cognizance of the repeated violations of human rights under AFSPA and repeal the Act.

On the other hand, the Lotha Students' Union said that it is high time that the central government gives serious consideration to the "cries of the Naga people and withdraws AFSPA from Nagaland". Similarly, the Pochury Students' Union also demanded the immediate revocation of AFSPA at the earliest and urged the concerned authorities to hold the security personnel accountable.

The Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Ordinance 1958 was promulgated by then President Dr Rajendra Prasad on May 22, 1958. It was replaced by the Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Act, 1958 on September 11, 1958. The Act grants special powers to the armed forces to maintain public order in "disturbed areas".