Less than two weeks after the Nagaland state government moved the Supreme Court to prosecute 30 soldiers for the 2021 Oting killings, a Havildar in the Naga Village Guard was detained by the Indian Army on July 26 in Namtula, Tizit, Mon District, bordering Assam.
According to sources, the village guard personnel was in his village when he was apprehended by the Indian Army around 4 PM on suspicion. Despite an Assamese bystander identifying him as a village guard, the soldiers insisted on detaining him, stating they would verify his identity later. The guard was pushed inside the Army vehicle and taken approximately one kilometer away.
When the village guard successfully produced his ID card, the Army released him on the roadside, admitting they had acted on incorrect information. Reportedly, the soldiers had earlier shown him a picture of another individual, mistaking it to be him.
This incident is reminiscent of the tragic events of December 4, 2021, when security forces, in a similar case of mistaken identity, fired on a pickup truck carrying eight miners in Oting, Mon district. Six miners died on the spot, while two survived. The ensuing violence claimed seven more civilian lives, along with security personnel.
Although the village guard incident on July 26, 2024 ended without interrogation, torture or killing, it has left locals unsettled. “What could have happened if he was not a village guard but a civilian? Another Oting? What if he was not able to produce his ID card?” a concerned local asked.
Since 1958, the Nagas have endured the effects of the AFSPA, which grants sweeping powers to the armed forces in “disturbed areas,” including the authority to kill, arrest, and search without a warrant, with protection from prosecution. This controversial law has been objected far and wide by all sections of the Naga society in Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam but centre has only “partially” removed it.
In response to the Oting incident, AFSPA was completely revoked in Tuensang, Shamator, and Tseminyu districts in 2022, and partially withdrawn from Kohima, Wokha, Mokokchung, and Longleng districts. The notification extended partial withdrawal to Zunheboto district, covering two police stations. In 2022, AFSPA was revoked from 18 police stations across eight districts of Nagaland. In March 2023, the Ministry of Home Affairs further removed AFSPA from the jurisdiction of three police stations in Wokha and Zunheboto districts.
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and its units have extended non-cooperation against the Indian Armed Forces, urging the central government to objectively assess the situation and repeal the controversial law from the entire Naga homeland.
Nagaland’s government recently filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court, challenging the Centre’s order denying sanction for the prosecution of 30 soldiers involved in the killing of 13 civilians in Mon district on December 4, 2021. The Supreme Court has scheduled a hearing for September 3.
The recent detention of the Naga Village Guard highlights the ongoing tension and mistrust between local communities and the armed forces. It also highlights the urgent need for a thorough review of the AFSPA and its implications on the ground. As the region waits for the Supreme Court’s decision, the call for justice and accountability continues to resonate strongly among the Nagas.