Nagaland: Naga Students’ Federation demands justice for Oting victims

Dimapur, Dec. 3 (EMN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has paid homage to the departed souls who were brutally killed by the Indian army at Tiru/Oting village area under Mon district on December 4 last year, and demanded the government of India to deliver justice for the victims.

In a botched ambush, the 21 Para Special Forces killed six coal miners while they were returning home from Lower Tiru in a bolero pick up at Yatong-Langkhao area under Oting village on December 4 last year. The incident led to the killing of seven more civilians and an army personnel following a scuffle between the villagers and the paramilitary forces the same day, while one more civilian was killed in its aftermath in Mon.

Recounting the tragic incident that happened one year ago, the NSF vehemently condemned the killing, which it said was shielded by the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) that has been “causing terror in the hearts and minds of the Naga people for the past several decades”. “We demand to the Government of India that justice is delivered to the victims and family members of the gruesome Oting incident and to all the pending cases related to the excesses committed by the Indian armed forces without further ado,” read the press release.

The student body stated that it sees no rationale to tag Naga-inhabited areas as “

The Federation sees no rationale as to why the Naga homeland within India is tagged as “disturbed areas” and thrust repressive AFSPA upon the people when the Indo-Naga political dialogue is being held at the prime minister’s level and is at a very crucial stage.

“It is only because of AFSPA that the Indian armed forces continue to operate with impunity in complete disregard of all humane values and virtues. It is, therefore, demanded that this draconian law is repealed once and for all and that human rights are restored in the Naga homeland,” it added.

The NSF went on to state that it had, during its 4th Federal Assembly held at Boro Henam village in Dima Hasao, Haflong, on December 2, reaffirmed its earlier resolution not to extent cooperation towards the Indian armed forces until AFSPA is repealed.

It also appealed to all its federating units to symbolically observe December 4 in remembrance of the victims of the Oting massacre at their respective places.