Naga Students’ Federation rejects lifting of AFSPA only in select areas; condemns shooting in Arunachal Pradesh

Dimapur, April 2 (EMN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has termed the lifting of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) 1958 in some pockets of the region while allowing it to operate in most part of Naga-inhabited areas, as a ploy of the India government to please a few sections of the north-eastern people and rejected the same.

While stating that the areas falling under 15 police stations of Nagaland will benefit from the latest development, the NSF expressed disappointment over “a major chunk of the Naga homeland spread across the four Indian States of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur and Nagaland are yet again classified as ‘Disturbed Areas’.”

It questioned the yardsticks used for lifting the Act, saying that law and order record in the Naga-inhabited areas is “almost perfect”.

“This step of the GoI is rubbing more salt into the wounds of the Naga people who are still reeling under the shock of the Oting incidents wherein 14 innocent Naga souls were mercilessly massacred by the Indian armed forces in a botched military operation,” read the press communiqué.

It also wonders if the GoI has any regard for the lives, emotions and sentiments of the Naga people.

“The Federation would like to reiterate our earlier stand that the Naga people does not merit the Act which has empowered the Indian military and para medical war machines with unlimited powers to extend their evil claws and judicial impunity to arrest, torture, kill and to commit everything inhuman,” it stated, adding that it vehemently denounces oppressive, repressive and inhuman instrument being used by the GoI to subjugate and divide the Naga people. 

“It shall remain the endeavour of the federation to ensure that AFSPA is repealed by the GoI or completely lifted from the entire Naga homeland. Towards achieving this end, the federation shall be undertaking a series of democratic agitation in consonance with the collective aspiration of the Naga people,” it continued.

Condemns shooting in Arunachal Pradesh

The NSF also condemned the firing incident in Chasa village of Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh, wherein two young Naga youths — Nokphua Wangpan and Ramwang Wangsu – were ‘critically injured’ when the 12 Para Special Forces shot them without any warning while they were returning from the river after fishing.

It said such acts of “trampling upon the dignity, existence, freedom and happiness of the Naga people without any remorse under the protection of AFSPA cannot be accepted by the Federation in particular and the Naga people in general”.

It demanded that justice be delivered to the innocent victims at the earliest by awarding befitting punishment to the culprits.

The NSF also reminded the Naga people to refrain from extending any sort of co-operation towards the Indian Armed Forces or para-military forces until AFSPA is repealed or completely lifted from the Naga homeland”.