IT News
Imphal, Dec 7:
An emergency Nagaland cabinet meeting was held today in Kohima, chaired by CM Neiphiu Rio and the cabinet have decided to make a strong recommendation to the Government of India to repeal AFSPA from Nagaland. The Cabinet also decided to call off the ongoing Hornbill festival to express solidarity with the Konyaks during this mourning period.
Within hours after the 14 civilian were killed in Nagaland, voices for the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958 got louder. In an attempt to support the escalating demands for the same, the Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio had earlier called for its repeal terming it as a “draconian law”.
Yesterday , Rio demanded the repeal of AFSPA 1958 while attending the public funeral of 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. Nagaland government have announced Rs five lakh to the next of kin of each of those killed in the incident and Rs one lakh to those injured. Rio also said that Union Home Minister Amit Shah has announced an ex gratia of Rs eleven lakh and government job to the families of each victim.
The funeral service of the miners was held at the Mon headquarters helipad ground on Monday and was attended by various tribal organizations under the aegis of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation 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 the Chief Minister. 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 according to officials.
In Manipur, The Indian National Congress have demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton in connection with the December 4 massacre of 14 Oting villagers by Assam Rifles. Condemning the incident with strong words, AICC Manipur in-charge Bhakta Charan Das and Ukhrul AC MLA Alfred Kanngam Arthur during a press meet at Congress Bhavan yesterday said the Union Home Minister should bear responsibility for the incident.
They further demanded institution of an inquiry committee to probe the killing and questioned the performance of the Home Ministry in the state which has complete ceasefire with the Government of India. Calling the people of Nagaland as peace loving people, they asked if killing of the innocent civilians was absolutely necessary.
INC demanded Rs one crore compensation to the deceased families and Rs ten lakh to the injured people as compensation while extending solidarity to the Naga people especially the Konyak tribe and wished that such things ceased to occur in the north east.
Alfred Kanngam Arthur ridiculed the claimed of the NDA that they hold everything with an iron hand and asked if they are holding the public in an iron hand or the government in an iron hand. He reiterates that the government is meant to protect the civilians but seems to have shifted into protecting the armed forces. The forces were meant to protect the rights of the civilians and not annihilate, he slammed.
He explained that both the entities in Nagaland namely NSCN IM and NNPG are in a ceasefire with the Government of India and asked what is the information on which they were firing at civilians. He said the only armed cadre outside the ceasefire is the NSCN Khaplang group that operates in Myanmar. He accused the firing as either a violation of the ceasefire agreement or a deliberate target of civilians and said they should either abrogate the ceasefire or maintain the ceasefire standard clearly. He said the attack on the poor miners of the most primitive tribe of Nagaland by the strong Indian army of more than one million is the worse crime and says it has stooped the standards and levels of India.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma demanded repeal of AFSPA through his official Twitter handle.
