Kohima: The Mon district of Nagaland continued to be tense as protests against the killing of 14 civilians at Oting and also demand the repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFPSA) continued in the district, here on Sunday.
According to sources the protests organised by the Tizit Civil Societies saw people in their hundreds in Tizit town in Mon district came out to protest against the killing of 14 civilians at Oting and also demanded the repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 at the Pentom Junction and marched to Nagaland check gate carrying placards. The protestors also demanded that unless the guilty security personnel were punished and justice delivered, the people of Tizit will not remain silent.
They further condemned Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement in the Parliament that the ambush was a case of mistaken identity and demanded apology from him. The angry protestors burnt the effigies of Amit Shah and the Indian army.
The Naga Council Dimapur, the Dimapur based civil society organizations and tribal Hohos and various unions have submitted a memorandum to the Nagaland Governor calling for action in response to the recent Mon killings and demanded that the Government of India immediately address the demands of the Konyak Union given to the Prime Minister. According to a release the organisations called for revocation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 from all Naga inhabited land immediately so that Nagas can live in peace. It also called for early settlement to the protracted Naga political talk and immediate removal of the tag ‘Friends of the Hill People’ used by the Assam Rifles.
The Konyak Union of Mon district has said that they are now mourning for the civilians killed by security forces, but they will never forget the Oting incident or move on without justice.
Addressing a press conference convened by the Konyak Union (KU) at Mon town on the fifth day of the district wide mourning period on Saturday, KU spokespersons T Yanlem and Yingphe Konyak sought justice and took exception to Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s statements in the Parliament earlier in the week.
