Nagas in Manipur remember Oting victims, demand justice
Source: Chronicle News Service / NNN
Ukhrul/Senapati, December 04 2022:
The Naga community across the hill districts in Manipur held a series of memorial demonstrations on Sunday to pay homage and demand justice for the victims of the Oting massacre, which took place on this day in 2021 .
The massacre was carried out by Indian Special Forces, the 21 Para commandos at Tiru-Oting road, Mon district, Nagaland on December 4 & 5 last year and resulted in the death of 14 innocent Naga civilians.
The Naga public have been demanding justice ever since, but the perpetrators have not been brought to justice till date.
The main remembrance event was held at Tahamzam/Senapati town where a candle light vigil was organised by All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) in collaboration with Senapati District Students' Association (SDSA) under the aegis of Naga Students' Federation (NSF), said ANSAM general secretary AC Thotso in a communication with The People's Chronicle.
The public during the vigil offered their honour and paid homage to all the departed souls, while also showing solidarity to all the youth of Konyak Naga who had suffered maimed and mangled during the dreadful terror tragedy unleashed by Indian state forces, he said.
He informed that similar demonstrations in remembrance of the Oting massacre were also held in other hill districts including Ukhrul, Chandel and others.
Issuing a statement in this regard, ANSAM said, ' We offer our highest honour and pay homage to all the departed souls.
Our heart also goes out to all the youth of Konyak Nagas who had suffered maimed and mangled during the dreadful terror tragedy unleashed by Indian state forces" .
The Naga students' body also said that it was appalled by the 'wilful' delay of justice to the victims of the most condemned terror act by the Government of India.
ANSAM then expressed its resentment towards the 'indifferent attitude' of the GoI towards the voices of Naga people demanding the repeal of AFSPA, 1958 .
Nagas are peace lovers and they were living in peace in their own system since time immemorial but problems arose only after they became part of Indian Union, the statement said.
The students' body then said that imposition of draconian law AFSPA in Naga areas and disturbed areas remain tragedy for civilians and thereby breaching the peaceful atmosphere in the villages.
Promulgation of AFSPA, 1958 in the north eastern states is the mother of all adversities resulting with Army atrocities against the innocent public in the region repeatedly.
Continuation of such draconian law will bring nothing good for both India and Nagas, it added.
According to ANSAM, AFSPA has only brought India to international attention with its 'shameful' records on violation human rights and value for human lives.
"Stop all sorts of attempts to suppress and oppress the Naga people's aspiration through militarisation and further trying to criminalise our political issue," it asked.
"This belligerent and atrocious conduct of the state agencies itself is contrary to the spirit of the ongoing Indo-Naga ceasefire and the ongoing peace talks", it added.
ANSAM then reminded the Government of India that it was the realisation on the part of India that the Naga issue is political in nature that paved the way for negotiation and more than two decades of political talk.
"We pray that the undeclared war on Naga civilians by the security forces should cease forthwith and repeal AFSPA, 1958 and paves way for inclusive, honourable and acceptable Indo-Naga settlement", the statement also said.
"It is only through the settlement of the Indo-Naga political issue, that real and permanent peace, development and prosperity will be ushered in," it added.
While anticipating the sincerity and political commitment of Government of India in resolving the Indo-Naga political issue, the students' body also strongly reaffirmed its support to' the resolution of Naga Students' Federation (NSF) to extend 'non-cooperation towards the Indian Armed Forces until AFSPA, 1958 is repealed,' the statement declared.
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