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Our Correspondent/Reporter
Tizit/ Dimapur, Dec. 11 (EMN): Hundreds of protestors gathered at Pentom Junction in Tizit and marched to Nagaland check gate on Saturday, demanding justice for the 14 civilians who were shot dead by security forces in Mon on December 4 and the 5th.
The mass rally was organised by the civil society organisations Tizit in Mon district.
Protesters shouted slogans like: “Amit Shah liar”, “Para force, go back”, “Repeal AFSPA”, “We want justice”, among others during the mass rally. They also demanded that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah apologise for his recent statement in the Parliament on the Oting incident and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) be repealed.
Protesters also denounced the firing incidents by burning the effigies of the Union Home Minister and Indian army.
Tizit Area Students’ Union (TASU) President, James endorsed the Konyak Union’s demands that the SIT complete the probe on the case before Christmas and justice be served without delay.
“If the government fails to give justice in the given time and date, I cannot assure ‘anything else’. But definitely, we won't stop the public from coming out to the street and going chaotic. Already the public and the citizen have gone beyond mad,” the president said.
“As law abiding citizens, as educated people, we want to maintain peace. But our yearning for peace should not be taken for granted,” he added.
Former president of Konyak Nyupuh Sheko Khong (a women body) Tizit unit, Manya said: “Are they not ashamed to take the lives of the innocent people? Are the para-military blind? Can they not differentiate the militants and public? Amit Shah should not only make statement but come to the spot (Oting village),” she said. Why is he allowing such incident to happen and supporting those who are wrong? she asked.
Addressing the rally on behalf of the citizens, Thomas Konyak said that armed forces could have blank fired but decided to shoot the innocent public. Citing the 4-5 hours gap between the ambush and the second firing by the armed forces, he asked what the deputy commissioner of Mon was doing during that time.
He could at least send the police or the Assam Rifles personnel posted in Tizit to ease the situation. If that was done, the second and third incidents could have been averted, he asserted.
Stating the DC could have at least the incident in Mon on December 5, he wondered the purpose of issuing orders after lives were lost and citizens distressed.
“The citizens are not satisfied with the Suo Motu FIR against the 21st para military force filed by the police at the Police station in Tizit as the Suo Motu content does not do justice to the incident that had unfolded,” he said.
Terming the whole incident as a murder, he said the DC should take responsibility and be terminated for his poor handling of the situation.
Former MLA from Tizit, Tingkap Wangnao stated that the Northeast region and Nagas have not slept in peace since India’s independence and the people are feeling secure amid the army personnel who are supposed to ensure safety.
We are in ceasefire and have been living in peace but this incident has left a huge blow, he stated.