Nagaland killings: Tribal union demands strict against Army officials, repeal of AFSPA
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Nagaland minister P Paiwang Konyak with administration and security officials at the site of the violence. (ANI)
Guwahati: A day after fourteen Nagaland civilians were killed in a firing incident of mistaken identity, a tribal union from the state's Mon district sent a five-point memorandum of demands to the government demanding strict action against the responsible security personnel and removal of special powers given to the army and security forces in the state.
The Konya Union, which represents the Konyak Naga Tribe – to which most of the killed civilians belonged- in a press release demanded to immediately constitute an independent inquiry committee under a competent investigating agency.
The body has also demanded that two members of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that the government has constituted to probe the incident must be from Naga civil society.
The union also demanded identification of all army personnel involved in the incident and book them, besides sharing in the public domain the action taken against the erring personnel within 30 days.
They have further demanded the immediate withdrawal of Assam Rifles from the Mon district and repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or, AFSPA, from the entire Northeast of India.
AFSPA has been in force in Nagaland and parts of the northeast for several decades. Under this legislation, security forces can conduct operations anywhere where the law is in effect and arrest without prior warrants.
Meanwhile, KU declared non-cooperation against the Indian armed forces and announced seven-day public mourning across the Mon district.
Expressing regret over the Nagaland firing incident, Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday assured both the Houses of Parliament that a special investigation team (SIT) will complete its probe within a month and said that all agencies must ensure that such incidents do not recur while undertaking operations against insurgents.
However, Amit Shah did not clarify if the centre planned to give permission to prosecute those members of the armed forces - protected under AFSPA - involved in the killings.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio and his counterpart in Meghalaya Conrad Sangma have also demanded the repeal of AFSPA.