“Any Peace Accord signed under the shadow of AFSPA will be under duress”
Mokokchung, April 4 (MTNews): The Naga Mothers Association (NMA) on Monday has written to the governor of Nagaland, Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, demanding that the GOI move for repeal of the AFSPA in the Parliament, as the Nagaland Legislative Assembly has passed the resolution for the same.
“The Ceasefires have brought much peace and therefore any Peace Accord signed under the shadow of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, will be under duress and cannot sustain true peace in the years ahead,” the NMA reasoned.
“Therefore, we demand the repeal of AFSPA from all Naga areas, in consonance to women’s right to peace and security,” NMA continued. Appended by Abeiu Meru, president, and Lochubeni Humtsoe, secretary, the NMA exuded confidence that the governor would “convey the stand of Naga mothers to the Government of India.”
The NMA said that, when they and other Naga tribe women organizations met the governor at his office on December 7, 2021 in the aftermath of the Oting massacre, their demand was for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
“The NMA places on record our deep disappointment and anguish that the AFSPA has not been repealed till date, and with the latest GOI notification, states the continuation of the AFSPA in nine Districts of the state and select towns within other districts. The NMA strongly objects to the selective and continued militarisation on our Naga people through such extension of the AFSPA, citing peaceful areas as disturbed areas. This is an insult to the many years of peace making and peace keeping by the Naga Mothers and other women organisations,” NMA said.
NMA further said that, despite the tragedy of the Oting massacre, it is evident that the Indian armed forces are unrepentant and intent on hunting innocent Naga civilians in Naga areas.
“The NMA condemns the killing and injury of Naga civilians at Kalegaon in Arunachal Pradesh in March 2022 by para commandos and the shooting of innocent Naga, daily wagers once again in Chasa, Arunachal Pradesh in April 2022 by the 12 Para Commandos. We are in solidarity with the grief and anger of our brethren in Naga areas of Arunachal Pradesh and demand swift punitive action in civil court on the perpetrators, as per the law,” NMA expressed.
NMA reiterated that apologies of ‘mistaken identity’ in all these cases are unacceptable and not tenable. “For decades, since 1958, the Naga population has been decimated through this draconian law, which is against every form of human rights. As mothers, for generations, Naga women and girls have borne the brunt of humiliating rapes and sexual crimes at the hands of Indian armed forces, seen our children and youth shot dead, village leaders beheaded as in Matikhru village,” NMA added.
NMA also said that Naga people are yet to see justice against perpetrators – the Indian armed forces – in the Oinam Operation Bluebird in Naga hills of Manipur, the Matikhru Massacre, Kohima bomb blasts. Tseminyu killings, Mokokchung arson, rape and killings, Pangsha killings at ITC Dan border, Wuzu killing of children, Oting massacre, Kalegaon and Chasa and countless others, perpetrated upon civilian Nagas by Security forces who vent their anger against us in our own lands.
“We demand that the GOI proves its respect for Naga women and our people by ensuring that Uniformed Indian army perpetrators be convicted in civil courts for all these enumerated incidents, as per the law,” NMA reiterated, while also adding that no amount of money will ever compensate the grief, trauma and suffering of the Nagas under the AFSPA for all these years.