The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has strongly condemned the July 13 bomb blast near the Assam Rifles Training Centre and School in Chümoukedima district, which claimed the life of an Assam Rifles personnel and left several others injured.
In a press statement issued on Wednesday, the Federation expressed its condolences to the family of the deceased and wished a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.
The NSF described the blast as an attempt to undermine the peace and stability that had been nurtured in the Naga homeland over the years, stating that the Naga people continued to aspire for a future based on peace, dialogue, mutual respect and an honourable political settlement.
The Federation also cautioned against what it described as vested interests and outside elements seeking to use the Naga homeland as “a theatre for violence, instability and the pursuit of agendas that have no place in our society.” It noted that the Naga people had endured decades of conflict and paid a heavy price in terms of lives, suffering and lost opportunities.
Calling for accountability, the NSF urged the authorities to conduct a swift, impartial and comprehensive investigation to identify those responsible for the attack, including any collaborators, and bring them to justice in accordance with the law.
The Federation further appealed to Nagas across tribal, regional and political lines to remain vigilant and united in safeguarding peace and communal harmony. It maintained that lasting peace could only be achieved through understanding, justice and dialogue rather than violence.
Reaffirming its commitment to peace, the NSF said it stood with the Naga people and all peace-loving citizens in rejecting violence in all its forms and in preserving the dignity, security and future of the land.