Ukhrul rally demands troops' withdrawal, AFSPA repeal
Source: Chronicle News Service / R Lester Makang

Ukhrul, September 15 2022: Over 5000 people took to the streets of Ukhrul town on Thursday to mount pressure on the central and state governments for immediate withdrawal of the security forces from nine Tangkhul villages where the troops have set up military camps/bases without the consent of the villagers.

The public also demanded immediate repeal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 during the mega rally organised by Tangkhul civil society organisations against the forceful military occupation of the villages.

Troops of Assam Rifles have reportedly occupied lands and set up military camps/bases at Chatric Khunou, Ramphoi, Tusom CV, Poi, Mapum, Lamlang Gate, Khamasom Wallely, Kasom Khullen and Kangpat Khullen villages in Ukhrul and Kamjong districts.

The demonstrators drawn from across the nine villages and from different localities of the town started the processions from two points of the town, Mission Ground and Dungrei Junction and converged at Ava Market, Phungreitang for a public meeting.

The demonstrators held placards and shouted slogans demanding immediate withdrawal of the security forces from the forced occupied lands and repeal of AFSPA as they arrived at the public meet.

"We should move forward with unity and strong commitment.

We should never lose our focus and hope and one fine day, we will achieve our goal," United Naga Council (UNC) president Kho John exhorted the public, while delivering a solidary message during the public gathering held in front of the Ava Market.

Pointing out the incongruity between the on going peace process between the Government of India and the Nagas, he stated that on one hand, Framework Agreement has been signed and peace process is going on, while on the other, villages in the hill districts are being militarised under AFSPA.

Tangkhul Naga Long (TNL) president David K Shimray, Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (South) convener Joyson Mazamo and Naga Women's Union (NWU) president Asha Wungnam also addressed the gathering and highlighted the tough situations created by militarisation in the hill districts.

The public meeting wounded up with Tangkhul Naga Wungnao Long (TNWL) president SA Ramnganing reading out a memorandum addressed to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing for immediate withdrawal of the forceful Assam Rifles occupation from the nine Tangkhul villages as well as repealing of the AFSPA from all the hill areas/districts of Manipur.

Later in the evening, the CSOs sent the memorandum to the PM through Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh and a copy of the same was forwarded to UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Francisco Cali Tzay and Asia Indigenous Peoples Pact secretary general Gam A Shimray.

According to the memorandum, the nine military-occupied villages have been turned into veritable military garrisons.

"It is indeed an ungainly sight to find fully armed and combat-ready soldiers moving around in these serene villages, indicating a warlike situation when there is none and conveying the presence of hostilities when there is peace," it noted.

The memorandum further stated that many generations have been crippled in the Naga homeland under the Indian AFSPA, 1958 and a relentless effort was made from every quarter to usher peace and in light of the subsisting Ceasefire Agreement dated July 25, 1997 and the Indo-Naga Framework Agreement, dated August 3, 2015, signed between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) .

Similar moves such as Suspension of Operations are being successfully negotiated with other insurgent groups operating within the state, and Union home minister has noted that the entire Northeast, "is now witnessing a new era of peace, prosperity and unprecedented development".

As observed by the Jeevan Reddy Committee, the AFSPA, 1958 has been a "symbol of oppression, an object of hate and an instrument of discrimination and high-handedness" with the brunt of such draconian laws being always borne by the common citizens of this country and whereas the tribal populace of the hill areas/districts deserve to enjoy the equal rights as guaranteed under the Constitution of India, it said, while adding that however, owing to forceful occupation by these men in uniform, the people are being subjected to rude disruptions and unwelcome alterations to the way of life in the villages causing grave inconveniences.

The memo continued that public spaces such as the playgrounds, schools, children homes and community halls are being used as military camps thereby hindering the usual functioning of such public facilities, adding that private spaces have also not been spared as constructions are being undertaken on private properties with utter disregard for its ownership.

Security check posts have been set up and the villagers are subjected to scrutiny as they go about their daily lives.

Women and children especially are subjected to the fears caused by this unwarranted situation.

The elders who have not recovered from their traumas caused by the military's atrocities are being subjected to it all over again, it related.

The memorandum also pointed out that according to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), the AFSPA, 1958 has been withdrawn from 15 police station areas in six valley districts of Manipur; 15 police station areas in seven districts of Nagaland; and 23 districts entirely and one district partially in Assam and whereas the Government of India since the year 2015 had already lifted the AFSPA, 1958 entirely from the states of Tripura and Meghalaya and partially from the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

There is no justifiable circumstance why the AFSPA, 1958 should not be lifted from the peaceful hill areas/districts of Manipur and whereas the number of FIRs registered in the hill areas/ districts is considerably lower as compared to the number of FIRs registered in the valley districts and whereas the non-withdrawal of the same from the hill areas/districts is ex-facie mala fide, discriminatory and arbitrary which violates Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution of India, it mentioned.

The memorandum further stressed that at this critical juncture when the Government of India is engaged in hectic peace parley with the Naga people to hammer out a lasting solution to the long pending issue, it is ill-advised and ill-timed to create a fear psychosis among the peace-loving citizens by such mushrooming unsolicited military camps.

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