Dimapur, Oct. 5 (EMN): The Naga Hoho has demanded the Government of India to completely withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, from Naga-inhabited areas, saying that “there cannot be true peace and mutual respect through the barrel of a gun”.
The statement came days after the government of India (GoI) extended the AFSPA in the existing areas in Nagaland for six more months.
“When the popularly elected democratic government of Nagaland had recommended for repeal of the infamous AFSPA 1958, the GoI seems to reject and discard the voice of the people,” read the press statement, while seeking to know why India plays with the sentiments of the Naga people after officially recognising their “political rights”.
“We look forward with hope for a peaceful resolution to the Indo-Naga Political issue. However, with AFSPA in place, there cannot be true spirit of peace and tranquility. To make the matter worse, the recent deliberate attempt of the Indian Army to kill innocent Naga citizens with an improvised explosive device (IED) planted in Puilang (Kambiron) village under Tamenglong district of Manipur, on 24th September, 2022 is one glaring proof,” it added.
While maintaining that the Nagas are outraged by the terrors created by the Indian Army, it said the patience of the people should not be misunderstood as weakness.
