News Analysis India

Tag: Nagaland Firing

  • Nagaland killings result of intelligence failure: Congress team in report to Sonia

    By PTI

    JAMSHEDPUR: A fact-finding team constituted by the Congress claimed that intelligence failure was the reason behind the Nagaland firings in which 14 civilians were killed by security forces earlier this month.

    The team comprising former Union minister Jitendra Singh, MPs Gaurav Gogoi and Anto Antony, and former MP Ajoy Kumar submitted their report to Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Thursday.

    Kumar, who is the party’s in-charge of Nagaland, in a statement issued here on Friday said the team was formed on the direction of Gandhi to look into the causes of the incident.

    The report took on Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that he “lied” on the floor of Parliament over the incident, and questioning why he has not visited the spot.

    Shah had told the House that a vehicle was signalled to stop but it tried to speed away and suspecting the presence of extremists in the vehicle, the security personnel opened fire.

    A Congress team had left Delhi to visit the spot on December 9 but were stopped at the Jorhat airport.

    However, they were allowed to meet the injured undergoing treatment at Dibrugarh hospital following strong protest, the statement said.

    The injured persons had made “startling revelation” to the Congress delegation, clearly indicating that the home minister had “lied”, it claimed.

    Security forces opened fire on civilians, killing 14 and injuring 11 in Nagaland’s Mon district in consecutive episodes, the first of which was a case of “mistaken identity”, according to police.

    One soldier also died in the rioting that followed.

  • Nagaland firing victims’ families demand justice, refuse compensation

    By PTI

    KOHIMA: The villagers of Oting in Nagaland’s Mon district and families of the 14 people killed in the shootings by security forces refused any government compensation until the personnel involved are “brought to justice”.

    In a statement, the Oting Village Council said that on December 5 when the locals were busy with funeral arrangements and other works in the aftermath of the killings, Rs 18.30 lakh was given by state minister P Paiwang Konyak and the district’s deputy commissioner.

    ALSO READ: Nagaland killings – Konyak Union demands apology from Amit Shah, retraction of ‘misleading’ Parliament statement

    At first, they assumed it to be a “token of love and gift” from the minister but later learnt it was an installment of the ex gratia from the state government for the families of those killed and injured, it said.

    “The Oting Village Council and victim families will not receive it until and unless the culprit of 21st Para Commandos of the Indian Armed Force are brought to justice before the Civil code of law and repeal of Armed Force Special Power Act (AFSPA) from the entire North Eastern region,” the statement said.

    ALSO READ: Nagaland firing: Eerie calm in Oting a week after killing by security forces

    The statement, issued on Sunday, was signed by Village Council chairman Longwang Konyak, Angh (‘king’) Tahwang, Deputy Angh Chingwang and Gaon Burahs (village chieftains) of Mongnei and Nyanei.

    At least 14 civilians and a soldier were killed in a botched anti-insurgency operation and retaliatory violence over December 4-5 in the district, as per police.

    Villagers claim attempt was made to pass dead off as militants

    Assam’s Jorhat administration on Wednesday prevented Congress general secretaries Jitendra Singh and Ajoy Kumar along with MP Gaurav Gogoi from visiting Nagaland citing the “sensitive situation on Assam-Nagaland border areas and apprehension of breach of peace and tranquility in the border areas of Jorhat”.

    Later, the troika staged a sit-in protest at the Jorhat airport. They had planned to visit Mon in Nagaland to meet the families of 14 civilians killed by the security forces.

    In an order, the Jorhat district magistrate said the movement of civilians and others from Assam to Mon had been restricted by Nagaland in view of the prevailing law and order situation in Mon and other bordering districts arising out of the Mon incident.

    OPINION: Nagaland and the perils of a militaristic approach

    “We have been sitting on a dharna at Jorhat airport for last three hours. Our only aim is to visit our brothers and sisters in Nagaland and tell them Congress party stands with them at this hour of grief,” Gaurav Gogoi said in a tweet.

    Breaking their silence after four days of a shoot-out in which 13 of their village youth died in firing by Para commandos, the Oting Citizens Office, representing Oting village in Nagaland’s remote Mon district on Wednesday rubbished official claims and asserted security forces had tried to hide the dead bodies and dress them in fatigues in a bid to pass them off as militants after a botched up ambush.

    The citizen’s body also claimed the killings were in “cold blood” with the driver being among the first to be shot dead with a bullet which pierced the windshield.

    OPINION: Nagaland ambush reopens old AFSPA wound in Northeast

    Attempts to contact the Army spokesperson in Kohima to cross-check the allegations have as yet remained unanswered.

    An official statement made by the Government on Monday had said that based on inputs received by the Indian Army about movement of the insurgents near Tiru village in Mon district, a team of para-commandos laid an ambush on Saturday, during which, “a vehicle approached the location and it was signaled to stop. However, the vehicle tried to flee, following which the vehicle, suspected of carrying insurgents, was fired upon resulting in killing of 6 out of 8 persons travelling in the vehicle. However, it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.”

    The Oting villagers through a statement related that “on the fateful evening of 4th December 2021, around 3:30 PM, one pick-up truck loaded with 8 Coal miners were returning from (a) mining site as next day was Sunday, which we the Christians consider a day of rest. Around 4:30 pm, the security forces ambushed that very pick-up truck without ascertaining anything about the passengers.”

    ALSO READ: Mon killing clear abuse of AFSPA, says Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio

    The security forces then “blocked the road for all traffic and diverted all vehicles to the less frequented old Pioneer road. Meanwhile, villagers were anxiously waiting for the pick-up truck to reach the village, for they learnt that there was a shootout” on that stretch, according to the Oting Citizens’ body.

    The Oting Citizens Office claimed that around 8:00 PM, the villagers went searching and found the empty pick-up truck, “with the bullet mark piercing through the windshield exactly at the driver’s position, blood stains covered with dust and mud, and the boys missing from the vehicle.

    “The pierced windshield in the front by bullets clearly indicates that they first shot the driver of the pick-up truck to (bring it to a ) halt and ambushed the remaining point blank,” the statement alleged.

    ALSO RED: Nagaland firing – BJP ally NPP claims Union Home Minister Amit Shah twisted facts

    The villagers claimed they chased three fleeing vehicles used by the security forces on motorcycles and intercepted them.

    Though securitymen denied any knowledge of the missing boys, a search found six of the missing miners under a tarpaulin.

    These boys were half dressed and lying dead.

    The Oting Citizens accused the security forces of attempting “to brand the boys as militants by planting weapons and dressing them in camouflage uniforms and boots.”

    Soon after heated argument between security forces and villagers broke out and turned into physical scuffles.

    Armymen according to the villagers “started firing indiscriminately, abruptly killing and injuring few others on the spot.”

    “We may be small and tiny in area and population, yet we are ready to compromise with situation to lose our heads and take the enemy’s heads. For we are warriors by blood and origin, and no force can intimidate us,” the statement asserted.

    (With Inputs From ENS)

  • Nagaland firing: Eerie calm in Oting a week after killing by security forces

    By PTI

    OTING: There is an eerie calm in Oting village in Nagaland’s Mon district, where despite the approaching Christmas there are no buntings or traditional decorations.

    Visitors to this remote hilly place are instead greeted with the sight of a lone white banner flapping in the air in memory of the 13 hapless young mine workers who fell victim to bullets sprayed at them by security forces a week ago in a botched counter insurgency operation.

    The calm speaks of the shock, sorrow and tension after the brutal killing and villagers, yet to come to grips with the tragedy, have put restrictions on accessing the site or visitors speaking to the bereaved families since the past two days.

    What strikes a visitor in this hour of grief is the famed Naga hospitality.

    A community kitchen has been opened since the incident and all visitors – ranging from government officers, the police, tribesmen and journalists are offered a meal of steamed rice, yellow dal, meat and pickle besides drinking water and black tea.

    “It is a massive tragedy. We appreciate the concern shown by everyone. We hope we get justice for the bereaved families,” an elderly inhabitant of the village told PTI on Friday.

    He is, however, firm on visitors not being allowed to meet the victims’ families.

    “The people coming from outside insist on meeting them. They make the families recount the horror over and over again. We decided to put a stop to it as there is no point in making them relive the painful loss,” he said.

    Another villager, who identified himself at Kheatwang Konyak, tries to explain that the villagers are not against people coming to Oting at this time.

    “We are coordinating with the visitors and providing whatever information or help they need. Earlier, visitors moved around alone, now we are only streamlining it”.

    He adds, “We lost innocent lives in the incident. Families have been shattered. God knows when we can move on from such a tragedy.”

    Near the hall where food is being served to visitors, villagers sit huddled in a meeting, to which outsiders are disallowed.

    When asked, Apo and Alem, who are among the girls of the village who have volunteered to work at the kitchen, said “We have been busy helping. The impact of our loss as a community is yet to sink in”.

    Later, Kheatwang, who accompanied this correspondent to the incident site, which is about 10 km from the village, said that the central government’s claim that the youths were gunned down as their pickup van did not stop at check points and that they tried to flee is not acceptable to the villagers.

    He points to the road, which is practically a mud track connecting the village to the incident site and is barely wide enough to allow the passage of a single vehicle.

    “You can see for yourself. It is not possible for any vehicle to go beyond 10-20 km per hour on this road.”

    He vehemently disagrees that the pickup van had not stopped at check points because “There are no check points at all, baring the one at the entrance of Oting village. Besides, the van was coming from the opposition direction.”

    Pointing to the lone army vehicle, which escaped being torched by angry villagers on that fateful Saturday evening, Kheatwang said, “The bodies of the six victims who were gunned down were taken from the pickup van and loaded like luggage pieces at the back of this van.”

    The pickup still lies at the incident site along with three other burnt Army vehicles, including the one used to carry the hapless victims – mute testimonies to one of the worst incidents of killing of civilians by the security forces.

    The area is naturally cordoned off and a platoon of Nagaland police stands in guard.

    Local villagers give company to the policemen to ensure that there is no attempt to tamper with any evidence by any person.

    Besides the six villagers in the pickup van who were killed in the firing on December 4, another seven were killed by the Army in violence involving irate locals at the incident site later that day.

    One Army personnel was also killed in the melee.

    Another civilian was killed when a mob attacked an Assam Rifles camp at Mon town on Sunday.

  • Nagaland firing: CM Mamata Banerjee asks police to keep tab on BSF activities in West Bengal

    By PTI

    RAIGANJ: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Tuesday asked police in districts that share borders with neighbouring countries to keep a watch on activities of the BSF, in the wake of the killing of 14 civilians in Nagaland by security forces.

    She also directed police to not allow the Border Security Force to breach its earmarked jurisdiction, and maintained that law and order is a state subject.

    “I know there is this problem… BSF personnel enter our villages and then we get complaints about harassment. They go to several places that are beyond their jurisdiction without informing the police.”

    Everybody has seen what happened in Nagaland… in Bengal’s Sitalkuchi during assembly polls and recently in Coochbehar, where three persons were killed in firing… I will ask the block development officers and inspectors-in-charge to be on alert,” she said at an administrative review meeting of Uttar Dinajpur and Dakshin Dinajpur districts held in Karnajora here.

    Banerjee was referring to the killing of 14 civilians by security forces in Nagaland’s Mon district on December 4 and 5.

    The chief minister has also been protesting against the Centre’s decision to extend BSF’s jurisdiction, terming the move as an attempt to interfere with the federal structure of the country.

    The BJP-led central government has amended the BSF Act to authorise the force to undertake search, seizure and arrest within a 50-km stretch from the earlier 15-km limit, from the international border in Punjab, West Bengal and Assam.

    “We do not have problems in the border areas and share very cordial relations (with neighbouring countries). There is no need to create this confusion. Law and order is a state subject,” Banerjee had said.

    West Bengal shares international borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.

  • Nagaland killing: Konyak Union imposes day-long bandh in Mon district as Northeast demands AFSPA repealing

    By PTI

    KOHIMA:  Konyak Union (KU), the apex tribal body in Nagaland’s Mon, imposed a day-long bandh in the district on Tuesday to protest the killing of 14 civilians by security forces, and announced seven-day mourning from the next day.

    The KU urged security forces to abstain from patrolling in the Konyak region during the seven-day mourning period, and warned that if the law enforcers do not abide by it, they will be responsible for “any untoward incident that might occur”.

    The union, in a letter sent on Monday, requested President Ramnath Kovind to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT), also comprising two members of Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) in it, and identify the Army personnel involved in the incident, and put in the public domain within 30 days the action taken against them.

    It demanded that 27 Assam Rifles immediately vacate Mon for failing to protect civilians, and Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act be removed from the entire Northeast.

    “We have imposed a day-long bandh in Mon district on Tuesday. It is going on peacefully. We have also announced seven-day mourning from Wednesday,” Konyak Union president Howing Konyak told PTI.

    The last rites of the 14 civilians killed in firing by security forces on December 4 and 5 were held in the Mon district headquarters on Monday.

    Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, his cabinet colleagues and representatives of several tribal organisations attended the event.

    When asked about Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in Parliament, Konyak said, “At the moment, we are not in a condition to accept or reject his statement. We are saddened by the brutal killing of our people. What actually happened will only be known after the two survivors who are being treated in Assam regain consciousness.”

    The union said that the incident seemed to be a result of “complete failure of military intelligence” and “cannot be termed as a case of mistaken identity at all”.

    “The slain people were villagers with no connection to any element that may cause the slightest concern to security forces or national security in any respect,” the KU stated.

    “This is an act of atrocity beyond reasoning. No explanation can justify this heinous act of deliberate crime against humanity,” it added.

    The union said that the perpetrators up to the highest rank be booked and tried at a civil court.

    Meanwhile, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Monday demanded the repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 from the state, where 14 civilians were killed by security forces in Mon district in an anti-insurgency operation fiasco and said the state too has special powers.

    Discussions and deliberations need to be held on the purpose of imposing AFSPA and how to revoke it, Rio said during the public funeral of the 14 daily wage earners of a coal mine, who were shot dead by security forces on Saturday at Oting village on their way home from work.

    Article 371(A) of the Constitution grants special provisions to Nagaland.

    It states that no Act of Parliament shall apply to Nagaland unless its legislative assembly decides so by a resolution.

    After the funeral, the chief minister tweeted “Nagaland and the Naga people have always opposed #AFSPA. It should be repealed.”

    Paying his last respects to the innocent miners who were killed at Oting, Rio said at the funeral service,”Their sacrifices will not be forgotten. We are together in this. We stand in solidarity with the people”.

    He asserted that since the security forces directly fired upon the civilians without even stopping them for identification, severe action will be initiated against those involved.

    “They (the miners) have not sacrificed their lives for India but for the Nagas,” he said and announced ex gratia of Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each of those killed in the incident and Rs one lakh to the injured.

    Rio also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced an ex gratia of Rs 11 lakh and government job to the families of each victim.

    The funeral service of the miners was held at the Mon headquarters helipad ground and was attended by various tribal organizations under the aegis of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisaiton and Konyak Union, the apex tribal body of the district.

    Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, leader of NPF legislature party T R Zeliang, state cabinet ministers and legislators were present at the funeral service besides Rio.

    Conveying his solidarity with the victims and the people of eastern Nagaland over the killing, Rio said that he has informed Shah that the situation in the state is “fine” but it was the Army which has committed a “blunder” by killing the innocent civilians”.

    He said “AFSPA give powers to the Army to arrest civilians without any warrant, raid houses and also kill people, but there is no action against the security forces . They (the Army) have created a law and order situation”.

    Rio told the mourners that Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Commander of 3 Corps, Lt Gen J P Mathew have assured him of a thorough probe and punishment of those responsible as per the law.

    The chief minister said candlelight processions were held across the state in solidarity with the people of the eastern Nagaland and th government suspended the ongoing annual Hornbill Festival at Kisama.

    Solidarity messages and condolences were read out at the funeral by various organizations and civil societies and many of those who were present carried banners and placards demanding justice for the “brutal murder “.

    After the funeral service the bodies of the 14 civilians were taken to their respective villages for burial.

    A common memorial stone will be erected at Mon district headquarters in their honour, officials said.

    Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 has been counterproductive to address law and order issues in the North East region and should be repealed as he joined the growing chorus for its withdrawal, following the killing of civilians in Nagaland.

    Civil society groups, rights activists and political leaders of the region have been demanding the withdrawal of the “draconian” law for years, alleging excesses by security forces with impunity under the cover of the Act.

    The AFSPA confers special powers on the armed forces in areas deemed as disturbed.

    “The AFSPA has always been counterproductive and there have been more unrest and people have to go through a lot of pain,” Sangma, who is also the national president of the NPP, said in a statement.

    He also said his National People’s Party, an ally of the BJP, is against the AFSPA and will continue to urge the Centre to repeal the “draconian” Act.

    Sangma, however, acknowledged that the region has law and order problems and said there are other ways to address the issues.

    “We agree that the issues must be addressed. There are other ways to address them and the AFSPA is not the way to address the issues in the NE region,” he said.

    Earlier in the day, he tweeted, “AFSPA should be repealed.”

    The state Congress also supported the chief minister, urging him to convene a meeting for consultation over the issue.

    “We must go all out to demand immediate repeal of this draconian oppression on our people. Kindly convene a consultation at the earliest,” Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh tweeted in reply to Sangma.

    The AFSPA is in force in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (excluding Imphal Municipal Council area), Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang, Longding, Tirap districts and areas falling within the eight police stations at the Assam border.

    The Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) also demanded that the AFSPA be withdrawn for building a peaceful North East.

    “We call upon the Government of India to rein in its armed forces if they really wish peace to prevail in the region as incidents like the killing of civilians will only bring instability, which is not a good sign for the NE as a whole,” HYC general secretary Roykupar Synrem said.

    “Steps should be taken towards building a peaceful North-East and the correct and necessary steps towards achieving full peace is to withdraw or repeal the AFSPA from the region completely as well as deployment or stationing armed forces to the bare minimum,” he said.

    Voicing concern, the Khasi Students Union (KSU) said the government should formulate laws to safeguard the rights of the indigenous people.

    “The Government of India should immediately revoke the monstrous AFSPA and instead formulate laws to safeguard and protect the rights and existence of the indigenous inhabitants of NE India,” it said in a statement.

    KSU president Lambok Marngar said the government should take stringent and harsh action against the “erring and bloodthirsty” personnel involved in the civilian killings in Nagaland.

    At least 14 civilians and a soldier were killed in a botched anti-insurgency operation and retaliatory violence over the weekend in Mon district of Nagaland, as per police.

    Opposition political parties in Assam Monday lent their voices to the demand for repeal of Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (AFSPA), 1958, which has gained renewed momentum following the death of 14 civilians in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation in Nagaland.

    Raijor Dal president Akhil Gogoi condemned the firing in Mon district of Nagaland and demanded immediate arrest and punishment of all involved in it.

    He also demanded that the National Investigation Agency be entrusted with enquiry into it and the incident be declared as a terrorist act.

    In a video statement shared through social media, the lawmaker said, “We have been seeing the army committing such excess on innocent civilians in the north east region in the name of counter insurgency operations”.

    The armed forces work under the cover of the AFSPA in the region and do not have to face any court of law.

    It conducts its own internal enquiry and the people do not get to know whether a case reached its logical conclusion of not, Gogoi added.

    “(The) Nagaland killings are a caricature of the Indian Govt. Revoke AFSPA,” Gogoi also wrote on Twitter.

    Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi also took to the Twitter to vent his opposition of AFSPA.

    Condemning the Mon firing incidents, he wrote, “Its heartbreaking to see civilians being gunned down by the same forces that were meant to protect them. I demand that laws like #AFSPA be repealed from the #NorthEast. #Nagaland” The party’s general secretary, Jagadish Bhuyan, blaming AFSPA for the incident tweeted, “It is past time for us to wake up and protest against this atrocity, or many more civilians will be killed in this manner!” “The GOI should SCRAP THE AFSPA and allow the NE people to live as dignified citizens of the country without any discrimination!” he added.

    AIUDF MLA Ashraful Hussain too pitched for revoking AFSPA.

    “Real justice to the victims would be ending this type of killings with impunity. There should be collective voice from all sections against the draconian AFSPA which allows such impunity,” the legislator tweeted on Sunday.

    Veteran CPI(M) leader Hemen Das joined the opposition parties in their demand for scrapping AFSPA.

    In a tweet on Sunday he condemned the incident and wrote, “This is state terrorism. Scrap AFSPA.”

    The CPI staged a demonstration in front of its party office here on Sunday demanding revocation of the Act and justice for the victims and their families.

    At least 14 civilians and one soldier were killed in firing by security forces in a botched anti-insurgency operation and retaliatory violence within 24 hours in Mon district of Nagaland since Saturday evening.

    AFSPA is in force in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur (excluding Imphal Municipal Council Area), Changlang, Longding and Tirap districts of Arunachal Pradesh and in areas falling within the jurisdiction of eight police stations of districts in Arunachal Pradesh bordering Assam.

    Civil society groups, rights activists and political leaders of the region have been demanding the withdrawal of the “draconian” law for years, alleging excesses by security forces under the cover of the Act.

  • Rajya Sabha adjourned amid Opposition protest over 12 MPs’ suspension, Nagaland firing

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for about 50 minutes till 12 noon on Monday amid protest by some opposition members soon after Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu called for the first Zero Hour mention.

    After the listed papers were laid on the table in the House, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge demanded a statement from the Home Minister on the Nagaland firing incident.

    Naidu said it is a very serious issue, and he has spoken to the defence minister and the home minister on it.

    The chairman said the home minister has informed that he will make a statement on the issue this afternoon.

    As the Chairman called for the first Zero Hour (where matters are raised with the permission of the Chair) mention, some members wanted to raise their points.

    Naidu tried to carry on with the Zero Hour, but the protest continued.

    “The House is adjourned sacrificing Zero Hour, public issues because of some people are not cooperating,” he said, and adjourned the proceedings till 12 noon.

    Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and other Opposition MPs raised slogans in front of Gandhi statue in Parliament complex and demanded that the suspension of the MPs be revoked.

    The 12 opposition MPs — six from the Congress, two each from the Trinamool Congress and Shiv Sena, and one each from the CPI and CPI(M) — were suspended from the Rajya Sabha last Monday for the entire Winter Session of Parliament for their “unruly” conduct in the previous session in August.

    The Opposition has termed the suspension as “undemocratic and in violation of all the Rules of Procedure” of the Upper House.

    The 12 suspended MPs have been sitting in protest against their suspension, which they claim is against the rules.