Itanagar: Former Arunachal Pradesh minister and incumbent vice president of National People’s Party (NPP), Arunachal unit, Thangwang Wangham has strongly condemned the action of 21 Assam Rifles troopers wherein 14 civilians of Oting village in Nagaland’s Mon district were killed on December 4 last.
Wangham, who visited the village on Tuesday and offered heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families, described the carnage of wage earners of Oting village as genocide and a heinous crime.
Advocating repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act in the region, the NPP leader said: The mindset and attitude of every citizen has changed today. Even the extremist has changed to liberal thoughts with the change of time. Therefore, AFSPA is not at all necessary in the present context. Apart from demanding high-level enquiry and appropriate action against AR personnel involved in the carnage, he also demanded repeal of AFSPA.
“We want peace, development and inclusive growth for a happy life and not the suffering and oppression under the AFSPA,” the former Arunachal Pradesh minister said, while adding that “there
are IPC, CrPC and UAP Act, which are sufficient enough to curb the insurgency menace in the country”.
“I was shocked by the news of the massacre at Oting village by those security personnel who are supposed to be protecting the life and property of the people. These villagers were earning bread and butter working in the coal mines but unfortunately they received bullets,” he added.
He said the current need for the country is to resolve the internal conflict by political negotiation and not by resorting to military repression and suppression, which would rather create ill wills and enmity.
“The respective Chief Ministers of AFSPA-affected states should talk with the Government of India. Accordingly, bring a conclusion in the Assembly to scrap AFSPA. Because AFSPA is just promoting killing and victimisation of innocent people in the guise of law & order situation,” he said.
