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KOHIMA — Following the public rally in Kohima on Tuesday, the Angami Youth Organisation (AYO) submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Nagaland on Tuesday, expressing deep concern over the “blatant illegal activities being committed by armed groups in Nagaland,” causing significant distress among the public.
Calling for strict enforcement of ceasefire rules, it said that the recent case of the GPRN/NSCN Khango group, which is under ceasefire with the government of India, is “just a tip of the iceberg” with many similar incidents remaining out of the public eye.
Highlighting various clauses of the Ceasefire Ground Rules, mutually agreed upon by the government of India and various NSCN groups, the AYO asserted that the onus of enforcing these ground rules on the government of India. Any contentious issues related to the implementation of these rules should be addressed and resolved by a ceasefire supervisory board/ceasefire monitoring group, it added.
However, while there may be a cessation of armed conflicts between security forces and the Naga National Political Groups (NNPGs) following the signing of these agreements, extortion and the forcible collection of money from all business enterprises have continued with impunity. As a result, the public is bearing the brunt, with the prices of even essential commodities skyrocketing, it added.
Furthermore, the GPRN/NSCN (Khango) has gone to the extent of issuing “death penalties” for not succumbing to their illegal demands, and even directing all contractors under the purview of AYO (implying all Angami contractors) to immediately cease activities and demobilise their manpower and machinery deployed across the state.
Stating that the public is utterly fed up with the activities of these armed cadres, it cautioned that, “It may not be long before the unarmed public take on these armed cadres, resulting in civil unrest.”
In this context, the AYO demanded that the government of India strictly enforce the Ceasefire Ground Rules, by ensuring that cadres of the groups adhere to the rules. It also called for the armed cadres to be confined to their designated camps and prohibited from moving around with arms in civilian areas.
Demanding that the state government assert its authority if any acts of coercion takes place, it also said the government should ensure that the armed groups immediately cease intimidating and extorting the people in the guise of ‘donations.’
The AYO also urged the government to stop recognising and legitimising splinter groups if it truly seeks an early settlement of the Indo-Naga issue.
Further, the GPRN/NSCN Khango group’s “intentional abrogation” of the ceasefire rules, particularly by issuing death threats and openly intimidating the public, is not only a violation of the ceasefire but also a serious human rights violation, it asserted.
It demanded that the Ceasefire Monitoring Group take immediate action against the group if it fails to withdraw the “capital punishment” issued and rescind the directive to all contractors under the purview of AYO.
Additionally, if any recalcitrant group continues to violate the ground rules, the Ceasefire Monitoring Group should abrogate the ceasefire with them and the concerned members should be strictly prosecuted under the National Security Act of 1980, it said.
"AYO is a civil organisation, but we will not hesitate to protect our people at any cost”, the memo stated, urging the government to address the representation with utmost importance and urgency.