Civilian killings: Bandh, rallies in five eastern Nagaland dists

GUWAHATI: Tribal bodies in five districts of eastern Nagaland on Thursday observed a peaceful bandh and took out rallies in protest against the killing of 14 civilians by Army’s Special Forces and Assam Rifles on December 4 and 5 in Mon district.

On December 4 at Oting in Mon district, the commandos of 21 Para (Special Forces) first shot dead six villagers when they were returning home from work at a coal mine and killed another seven villagers at the same spot within minutes when they came searching for their people hearing gun shots. The next day, the 14th person was killed in firing by Assam Rifles during a riot at Mon town. The influential

Naga Students Federation

will organise a mass rally in Kohima on Friday to press for the repeal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act 1958 from Nagaland. Besides demanding justice for the killing of the 14 civilians, civil bodies in the entire northeastern, including CMs of Nagaland and

Meghalaya

, have demanded the Centre to withdraw this draconian law that gives armed forces sweeping powers to shoot and kill.

In Mon district, the Konyak Union held protest rallies and observed a 10-hour bandh from 6 am. Life came to halt in Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and Noklak eastern districts where members of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), an apex tribal body, staged demonstrations.

The tribal bodies threatened to intensify their protests until justice is served. The Konyak Union has also demanded an apology from

Shah

for his statement in

Parliament

that the security forces fired in self-defence. The families of the 14 civilians have also refused government compensation until the personnel involved in the firing are “brought to justice”

The anger and demand for justice for the 14 civilians in the botched counter-insurgency operation and aftermath have brought together the five eastern districts of Nagaland, which are home to six major tribes, to impose a complete non-cooperation against the Indian security forces.

After the Konyak Civil Society Organization announced non-cooperation with the armed forces, the ENPO also resolved to “abstain from any national celebrations or such activities, non-participation in Army civic programmes, non-attendance to any of their official invitations, not to allow any recruitment drive within Eastern Nagaland area” until justice is delivered to the victims of the Oting killings, AFSPA is removed from the northeast and Union home minister Amit Shah withdraws his statement in Parliament that the security forces had fired in self-defence.