The NSF expressed its disappointment over the fact that major chunk of the Naga homeland spread across the four Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland, are still classified as “Disturbed Areas.”
By Imna Longchar, TFM Nagaland Correspondent
Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has rejected the lifting of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) 1958 from some pockets of the region and allowing the act to operate in most part of the Naga inhabited areas.
The NSF in a press statement issued jointly by its president, Kegwayhun Tep, and general secretary, Siipuning Philo, said that the latest move by the government of India was a “ploy” to please a few sections of the Northeastern people.
Areas falling under 15 police stations of Nagaland would benefit from the latest move by the New Delhi. However, the NSF expressed its disappointment over the fact that major chunk of the Naga homeland spread across the four Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, and Nagaland, are still classified as “Disturbed Areas.”
Questioning the “yardsticks” used for lifting the act, NSF said that law and order record in the Naga inhabited areas are almost “perfect” and that this step of the government of India was “rubbing more salt into the wounds of the Naga people” who are still reeling under the “shock” of the Oting incident in which 14 innocents Nagas were “mercilessly massacred” by the Indian armed forces in a “botched up military operation.”
NSF asked if the government of India has any regard for the lives, emotions, and sentiments of the Naga people. The federation reiterated its earlier stand that the Naga people do not deserve the Act which has empowered the Indian military and para-military war machines with unlimited powers to extend their “evil claws and impunity” to arrest, torture, kill, and to commit everything inhuman while also stating that it vehemently denounces “oppressive, repressive, and inhuman instrument being used by the government of India to subjugate and divide the Naga people.
“It shall remain the endeavour of the federation to ensure that AFSPA is repealed by the government of India or completely lifted from the entire Naga homeland” said NSF. It further stated that the students would be undertaking a series of “democratic agitation” following the collective aspiration of the Naga people.
NSF condemns April 1 firing incident in Tirap, Arunachal Pradesh
Meanwhile, the NSF has condemned the April 1 firing incident in Chasa village, Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh, where two Konyak Naga youth identified as Nokphua Wangpan, and Ramwang Wangsu, were fired upon by personnel of the 12 Para Special Forces without any warning and critically injuring the duo while returning from a nearby river after fishing.
The federation said that such act 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 Naga people. NSF demanded that justice be delivered to the innocent victims at the earliest by awarding befitting punishment to the culprits.
It further reminded the Naga people to refrain from extending any sort of cooperation towards the Indian armed forces or para-military forces until AFSPA is repealed or completely lifted from Naga homeland.