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Nagaland cabinet to recommend immediate repeal of AFSPA after 14 die in botched op
Amid outrage over the killing of 14 civilians in a botched Army operation, the Nagaland government on Tuesday decided to write to the Central government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Protection Act, 1958, that gives armed forces sweeping powers in disturbed areas
Amid outrage over the killing of 14 civilians in a botched Army operation, the Nagaland government on Tuesday decided to write to the Central government to repeal the Armed Forces Special Protection Act, 1958, that gives armed forces sweeping powers in disturbed areas.
“We have decided to write to the government of India for the immediate repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 from the state,” a spokesperson of the state government Neiba Kronu briefed journalists after the cabinet meeting.
This came a day after chief minister Neiphiu Rio has demanded the repeal of the AFSPA from the state on Monday, saying it is a draconian law and the people of Nagaland have never accepted it. He also said the implementation of the law had brought a bad name to the country across the world.
Later, a state minister, Temjen Imna Along, said the state government led by CM Rio will be appealing to the Union Home Ministry to remove AFSPA from Nagaland.
“The State government can only appeal, and it is up to the Central government to understand the feelings of the people of the state today. As elected representatives of the people, irrespective of party lines, we have chosen to appeal to the government of India through the right process to bring reassurance to the people of the state that AFSPA should be repealed in our state,” the minister said.
Along, who is also the Nagaland BJP unit president, assured that the state BJP will also be putting up the views and sentiments of the Naga people on AFSPA to the party’s central leadership immediately.
On a query of how the recent incident in Mon district could impact the ongoing peace talks, Kronu said that the core committee on Naga Political Issue is scheduled to meet on December 9 to discuss further on the matter.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convener of the North East Democratic Alliance and has had parleys with the Naga peace process negotiating parties along with CM Rio, is also expected to attend the meeting in Kohima on December 9.
Kronu also said the cabinet was briefed about the action taken by the government after the killing of 14 civilians and the investigation of the special investigation team (SIT) headed by the inspector general of police.
The Cabinet was informed about the ground report submitted by the director-general of police, which said that the Army personnel tried to take away bodies of six persons, who were mistaken to be insurgents.
The cabinet desired that the SIT formed by the latter completes its investigation and submit a report to the government within a month, Kronu said.
The government spokesperson informed that among the 30 injured in the December 4 firing incident, two persons are still under critical care in a hospital at Dibrugarh, six are undergoing treatment in Dimapur and 22 have been discharged from hospital care.
“Situation (in Mon district) is now under control. I have just spoken with the deputy commissioner there,” Kronu added.
The state cabinet also decided to call off the remaining three days of the ongoing 22nd edition of its iconic Hornbill Festival in solidarity with the Konyak community who lost 14 young men in the firing incidents in Mon district on December 4 and 5.
“The state cabinet has decided that all activities of the ongoing Hornbill Festival should be ceased in view of the demand of the mourning announced for the deceased in the firing incidents in Mon district and the demand of various civil society not to hold the activities,” Kronu said.
The Hornbill Festival, an annual ten-day cultural and tourism extravaganza in which the different Naga tribes showcase their rich traditions, began on December 1.
Six tribes from Eastern Nagaland-- Konyak, Khiamniungan, Phom, Sangtam, Yimkhiung and Chang withdrew from the ongoing Hornbill Festival.
According to tourism department officials, the festival had 56356 visitors during the first five days this year. In 2019, the department recorded 2,82,811 footfalls to the 20th edition of the festival. Last year, the event was held virtually due to the global Covid-19 pandemic.
