IT News
Imphal, May 18:
The Naga Students’ Federation expressed strong condemnation to the alleged extrajudicial and arbitrary chain of actions by the troops of 19th Sikh Regiment stationed at Pumoa village, Longding District, Arunachal Pradesh where a youth was detained and physically assaulted for no apparent reason and thereafter indiscriminately firing upon a crowd leading to the killing of a 60 year-old civilian, Lamdaan Lukham, on the spot while also injuring several others.
The federation said that the men in uniform have not been able to be an exemplary disciplined unit even during the nationwide lockdown and are mindlessly indulging in their trigger happy junket to which another innocent Naga soul had to fall victim to their bullets while also injuring many. All these, despite the clarion call by the United Nations for a global ceasefire to armed groups across the world in a unified response to the threat posed by COVID-19.
It added that the perturbing chain of events calls for the central government to review and revoke the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which has been in operation in almost all parts of the North-Eastern states allowing the Armed forces to operate with impunity in the region thereby claiming countless innocent lives and destroying those of thousands more.
The federation further demanded the central government to set-up an inquiry committee to be headed by a Retd. Judge of Supreme Court/High Court who will be empowered to conduct an impartial probe into the matter and bring the culprits to booked at the earliest. It further appealed the National/State Human Rights Commission as well as the National/State ST Commission to take suo-moto cognizance of the incident and initiate timely proceedings against those responsible for the barbaric act.
