Organisations have also expressed their resentments over the inability of ruling regimes in Nagaland for the continual atrocities meted out to innocent citizens under the guise of counter insurgency measures
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nagaland have accused the ruling coalition in Nagaland represented by Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDDP), Bharatya Janata Party (BJP), and the Naga People’s Front (NPF) of being responsible for the extension of the “Disturbed Area Act” in Nagaland for another six months till June 2022.
These organisations have also expressed their resentments over the inability of ruling regimes in Nagaland for the continual atrocities meted out to innocent citizens under the guise of counter insurgency measures and continuous imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the Northeast region with Nagas bearing the brunt of the draconian act.
Of the many who had raised their voices against the extension of the “Disturbed Area Act” by the Government of India for another six months, the Rising People’s Party (RPP), has categorically expressed shock and questioned the role of the state government.
“This extension is nothing but the abject failure of the NDPP, BJP and NPF coalition to convince the GoI, that post Oting massacre, it is capable of handling law and order situation in the state, with or without AFSPA. Simply put, the UDA coalition is irresponsible and continues to play with the lives of its citizens”, said the RPP.
The RPP recalled Meghalaya chief minister, Conrad Sangma’s press meet on December 28 in Dimapur wherein he stated that “role of a state government” was very crucial in the lifting of AFSPA. In this regard, the RPP has also questioned whether the UDA coalition in the state had raised its objection to the extension of the “Disturbed Area Act” or not.
Demanding that the UDA coalition partners clarify on the issue, RPP representatives Joel Naga and Amai Chingkhu stated that for a long time the Nagas had been demanding the state government to control all the illegal activities being committed by the various “Naga factions”. The party also lamented that for too long the state leaders “purposefully” kept looking the other way and blaming the unresolved “Naga political issue for all the ills in the state”.
The RPP said, “since the successive state governments abdicated on their responsibility to govern and uphold the Rule of Law, it gave the GoI the necessary excuse to impose AFSPA in the state despite the continued protestations of the Naga CSOs”.
‘India is never serious about issues of the NE people’, says Chuba Ozukum
Maintaining that India had never been serious on the issues confronted by the people of Northeastern region particularly Nagaland, the former Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) chief and Naga Hoho president Chuba Ozukum told FTM that the union government has been giving different treatments to the region. He felt that the Northeast people should come together in a unified voice.
The Naga Hoho president was of the view that an incident like Oting massacre should not be repeated in the near future in Nagaland and neighbouring states.
He also said that the government of India’s extension of the “Disturbed Area Act” had clearly exhibited its insincerity towards the Northeast region. He said that since 1958, the union government had been treating the Nagas “very differently” and past experience indicate that India is not going to bring in “Naga Political Settlement” to its people.
He also accused the government of India of dividing the Nagas. “Today, India feel they are so mighty and that the Nagas cannot do anything, but, a time will come soon when India will definitely regret for the ill treatment meted out to the Nagas”, Ozukum said.