News Analysis India

Tag: Mon Killings

  • Mon killings: Army promises action against erring personnel

    Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: The Army on Monday said action as per the Army Act would be taken against any solders found to have committed lapses during the December 4, 2021 botched ambush at Oting in Nagaland’s Mon district that left 13 civilians and an Army jawan dead.

    The Army’s Eastern Commander Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita said the Army court of enquiry was completed and the report was being examined.

    “We also received the report of the Special Investigation Team constituted by the Nagaland government. Both the reports are being analysed to identify the lapses that have taken place during the conduct of the operation,” Gen Kalita told journalists in Guwahati.

    “Let me assure you that any fault which we identify, requisite action will be taken against those individuals irrespective of their ranks or who they are,” he said.

    The senior Army officer, who hails from Assam, said the Army was conscious of the fact that there had been an increase in recruitment by the Paresh Baruah faction of insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent or ULFA-I. He said not only the youth from upper Assam but also from lower Assam were joining the militant organisation.

    “Most of these recruitments have taken place through the social media where they were motivated. I was given to understand most of them have a criminal background,” Gen Kalita said.

    But violence has no place in any society and resorting to violence to resolve any issue is not the way, he said.

    Talking about the situation on the China border, he said since it had not been demarcated, it often leads to perception differences.

    “But we have mechanisms in place in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols to defuse tension and work towards peace along the LAC (line of actual control),” Gen Kalita said.

    China has developed a lot of infrastructure in Tibet which includes the construction of railway line that connects Lhasa to Chinese heartland. They have also constructed a lot of highways, certain roads in forward areas which connect the passes along the LAC, upgraded airports and helipads while additional areas have been taken to ensure the stationing of more aircraft and helicopters, he said.

    “One reason of concern for us is some villages, which are located close to the LAC, have the possibility of dual use. They can be used for civilians as well as to mobilise troops to the forward areas,” the Army officer said.

    They have also developed their communication infrastructure. There is the availability of 5G mobile connectivity. All these infrastructure developments give them the capability to mobilise troops from the camps in a shorter time, he said.

    “So, we all are conscious of this factor and requisite steps are being taken to develop infrastructure. One of the challenges for us is inclement weather and difficult terrain. The Himalayan mountains on our side are quite unstable and prone to landslides during monsoon. Then, during winter, there is heavy snowfall all along the LAC which leaves us with limited working period,” Gen Kalita said.

    He said there is a shortage of people to work in those areas. What compounded the problem is that people from outside are not willing to come and work there while there is outmigration of the border villagers to plains areas.

    Over the past few years, hundreds of villagers have moved to towns and other areas in Arunachal in search of a better future.

  • 2021: As Nagaland mourns Mon killings, aspiration for normalcy stays a distant dream

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: The killing of 14 civilians by security forces in Mon district brought a disconsolate 2021 to a close for Nagaland, with the shared aspiration of its people for an early solution to the decades-old political issue remaining a distant dream.

    Fourteen civilians, including six daily wagers working at a coal mine, were shot dead in a series of firings by security forces in Mon district over December 4-5 in a botched anti-militancy operation, triggering a nationwide outrage and reigniting the demand for withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the Northeastern state.

    Even as political leaders of the region, including Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, pushed for repeal of the controversial law, the Centre declared the entire state of Nagaland a “disturbed area” for six more months with effect from December 30 under the AFSPA while terming the state’s condition “dangerous”.

    ALSO READ: Partial AFSPA lift in Nagaland soon?

    The state assembly also held a special session on December 21, when it passed a resolution demanding withdrawal of AFSPA from the state and the Northeast, besides an apology for the killings in Oting village in Mon.

    The move drew flak from the Congress and the newly-formed Rising People’s Party as they demanded justice and not mere apology.

    In solidarity with Konyak Nagas, the tribe to which the victims belonged, the state government called off the signature Hornbill Festival, which was being held after two years due to the pandemic.

    Diplomats from a number of countries were attending the festival when it was called off amid rising tension.

    ALSO READ: ‘AFSPA empowers military, cannot solve insurgency’: Northeast activists say 1958 law must go

    The issue of resolution of the Naga political issue hit a bump during the year with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) refusing to hold talks with the then Centre-appointed interlocutor and state governor R N Ravi, claiming it did not trust him.

    Ravi was shifted to Tamil Nadu as governor on September 9.

    The talks resumed on September 20 in Dimapur with the appointment of former Intelligence Bureau special director AK Mishra as the new interlocutor.

    The dialogue subsequently moved to New Delhi but the insistence of the NSCN(IM), which had signed the Framework Agreement in August 2015, on a separate flag and constitution blocked a final solution as the Centre held on to its position of not conceding those demands.

    On the other hand, the parallel talks with the Working Committee of Naga National Political Groups (NPPGs), which is willing to go ahead and reach a final agreement, could also not make much headway.

    ALSO READ: Nagaland firing incident proves high time AFSPA is repealed from NE, says Irom Sharmila

    To facilitate resolution of the Naga issue and put forth a united voice before the Centre, principal opposition Naga People’s Front (NPF), having 25 MLAs, proposed joining the government, which was accepted by the ruling People’s Democratic Alliance (PDA).

    This led to the formation of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) government, leaving no significant opposition in the state.

    Asserting that resolving the Naga political issue tops its agenda, the state government in June constituted a committee of 60 legislators and two MPs to iron out the differences between the negotiating parties.

    The assembly also adopted a four-point resolution on the vexed political question in February, with the 60-member House resolving to work unitedly to facilitate meaningful negotiations.

    However, unanimity proved elusive as the Congress urged all the 60 MLAs to resign to demonstrate their sincerity and pressure the Centre for a solution to the decades-old problem.

    ALSO READ: Amid AFSPA debate, civilian casualties in northeast highest in three years

    The year also witnessed a split in the NSCN (Reformation) with Akato Chophy becoming its new president.

    At present, there are at least 13 Naga underground groups in the state.

    Factional tussle within the state BJP continued for the second year with presidents of six district units demanding the removal of the party’s Nagaland president Temjen Imna Along, but that did not find favour with the central leadership.

    The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP), a major constituent of the ruling coalition, won the bypolls to Noksen and Shamator-Chessore uncontested, raising its tally in the state assembly to 21.

    In March, inter-district dispute between Peren and Dimapur districts turned violent, claiming the lives of three people.

    Tensions also prevailed along the interstate boundary with Assam.

    However, defusing the situation, Assam and Nagaland signed an agreement on July 31 to maintain peace in areas around Ao Senden and Vikuto villages.

    The second wave of the coronavirus pandemic hit the state in April-May, forcing the government to impose strict restrictions.

    The state has reported 32,188 Covid cases.

    Of the total 702 deaths so far, 623 happened in 2021.

    The state has till date administered 13,33,991 doses of vaccine.

    Nagaland witnessed a drought-like situation this year with the delay in the arrival of monsoon and erratic rainfall.

    According to Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA) data, the districts recorded rainfall deficiency of 20-59 per cent, except for Mon which received 40 per cent excess rainfall.

    The Nagaland government launched the Vision 2030 document in August, along with the District Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Localisation and Integration Manual, aiming for a well-governed, peaceful, inclusive and prosperous state with a sustainable and diverse economy, a skilled and healthy population, providing equitable opportunities for all citizens.

  • Mon killing clear abuse of AFSPA: Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Thursday said the killing of civilians in Mon district by the security forces was a “clear case of abuse” of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and said the incident, which took place five days ago was not the first instance of the people having to bear the brunt of the draconian law.

    Speaking at the ‘In Memorium’ programme organised by the government in memory of the 13 civilians, he said innocent lives have been cut short by the “most unfortunate and careless act of the Indian security forces”.

    AFSPA, he said, is law that has colonial genesis and is violative of human rights as it legitimises killing on mere suspicion and the people of Nagaland will continue to demand its repeal.

    Expressing his condolences to the Konyak community, to which the civilians belonged, the chief minister appealed them to maintain peace.

    “This is the time for you to defeat violence with non-violence. This is the time for the biggest Naga tribe to show the world that they also have the biggest heart,” Rio said.

    He took the opportunity to appeal to all Nagas political groups to “say farewell to arms”.

    “Unless we show and prove ourselves to be peace-loving and non-violent people, our demand for the repeal of AFSPA will not carry weight…Let us say that we do not want AFSPA. But let us also show that we do not need AFSPA. Let us also make sure that we do not, in any way, allow any force to derail the hard-won peace process,” Rio urged.

    Naga People’s Front legislature party leader T R Zeliang called AFSPA a “black law” which has not brought any good to the nation or its people.

    “Rather it has brought shame to the nation”.

    It is therefore high time for the leaders of the country to repeal such an act immediately in order to prevent inhuman activities meted out to its citizen, the former chief minister said.

    He said the Nagaland government has been writing to the ministry of home affairs almost every year against the application of AFSPA in the state.

    “But the Centre continues with the extension of AFSPA in our state despite having ceasefire agreement with NSCN(IM) since 1997 followed by signing of the Frame Work Agreement in August 2015 and the Agreed Position in November 2017.

    “This proves that the concept of federalism in spirit and unitary in practice enshrined in the Constitution is defeated,” he said.

    It is high time for the entire north east to come together and fight for its future, Zeliang added.

    The president of the Kohima unit of Konyak Union, H Angnyei Konyak hit out at a section of the media for their reports that the 13 coal mine workers and daily wage earners killed by the security forces on Saturday at Oting village were insurgents.

    This coupled with Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in Parliament that the civilians were fired at when they did not heed the security forces’ order to stop and tried to flee had caused pain and anger in the people, he said.

    “Existence of peace in our land is a hard earned one,” he said and echoed Rio’s implorations to revoke the “draconian” AFSPA without any delay.

    “Nagas do not want to see another Oting in the country…Our hearts are heavy at the loss of the lives of the innocent civilians,” Konyak added.