Political parties, civil society organisations, the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) and the NSCN/GPRN (NSCN-IM) have strongly condemned the suspected IED blast near the Assam Rifles Training Centre (ARTC) at Shokhuvi in Chümoukedima district that claimed the life of an Assam Rifles personnel and injured several others.
In separate statements issued on Tuesday, the organisations described the attack as a cowardly act of violence that threatens the peace and stability of the state. They expressed condolences to the family of the deceased, Havildar Mohd. Iqbal of the Assam Rifles, prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and called for a thorough investigation to bring those responsible to justice.
The NSCN/GPRN condemned what it described as a “cowardly terrorist act” and said indiscriminate acts of violence serve no purpose other than spreading fear, creating chaos and undermining the peaceful atmosphere the people have worked to preserve.
Reiterating its commitment to the Indo-Naga ceasefire agreement, the organisation said it would continue to honour both the letter and spirit of the ceasefire ground rules. It also reaffirmed its commitment under the Geneva Call Deed of Commitment banning anti-personnel mines and rejected the use of such weapons.
The NSCN/GPRN further stated that it would make every effort to ascertain the truth behind the incident and identify those responsible, while appealing to the public to remain calm, refrain from speculation and cooperate in ensuring that the facts are established.
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The Naga People’s Front (NPF) also condemned the blast, describing the attack on security personnel as unacceptable. The party conveyed its condolences to the bereaved family and urged the authorities to launch an immediate and thorough investigation to identify and apprehend those responsible.
Similarly, the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) said violence has no place in a democratic and peace-loving society and warned that such incidents threaten the hard-earned peace and stability of the state. It called for a prompt, impartial and time-bound investigation and urged citizens to maintain communal harmony and cooperate with investigating agencies.
The Western Sumi Hoho (WSH) and Western Sumi Kukami Hoho (WSKH) also condemned the blast, stating that violence and terror tactics would only bring pain and instability to the state. The organisations appealed to law enforcement agencies to leave no stone unturned in identifying the perpetrators and urged citizens to stand united against violence.
The Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC) described the explosion as a direct assault on the sanctity of human life and the peace of society. While mourning the loss of the security personnel, it called upon citizens to reject violence and retaliation, preserve communal harmony and pray for peace across the state. The council also appealed to the authorities to conduct a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation to ensure accountability.
Despite representing different sections of society, all the organisations echoed a common appeal for peace, restraint and justice, while urging authorities to bring those responsible for the attack to book and prevent any recurrence of such incidents.
