Naga orgs. meet PM to ask for AFSPA repeal

Dimapur, November 5 : The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), the Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA), and the Naga peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) have appealed to the prime minister of India to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from all Naga areas. A copy of the representation that the organizations’ leadership submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi was issued to the media on Saturday. The groups’ leaders, meeting Modi at New Delhi, declare d that the AFSPA was “not even relevant with the Peace processes.” Since the AFSPA was enacted in 1958—an extension of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance of 1940 used by the British to suppress the Indian civil disobedience movement—the Naga people have undergone untold sufferings which need no elaboration, the representation stated. Beside it was that that the Government of India entered into ceasefire and peace negotiations with various Naga “political groups” some of which are continuing till date, they stated. “However, even in the midst of ceasefires and peace negotiations, the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act continues to prevail against the very spirit of peace processes.” The three leaders also referred to the Wuzu incident and the Wokha skirmishes in October specifically the Assam Rifles personnel’s alleged occupation of a church in Mekokla village on October 22 “against the directive of the Supreme Court and even in the midst of protests from the church leaders and villagers, after which they attacked a column of Naga army who are in ceasefire with your government and killed one of them and injuring another, the very next day.” ”...we take this opportunity to urge you to withdraw the imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from all Naga areas, which is not even relevant with the peace processes,” the organizations added.