DIMAPUR, JUNE 14 (MExN): Nagaland Tribes Council (NTC) has urged Nagaland Governor PB Acharya to impress upon the Government of India (GoI) not to further extent the Disturb Area Act (DAA) in Nagaland beyond June 30, 2016 in the “better interest of strengthening the chance of evolving lasting peace in this part of the country.”
In a memorandum addressed to the Governor on “behalf of the citizens of Nagaland,” NTC president Lendinoktang and general secretary Nribemo Ngullie on Tuesday said the Union Home Ministry declared the entire Nagaland as a “disturbed area” for a period of one year from June 30, 2015 to June 30, 2016. Prior to June 2015, the enforcement of the DAA was promulgated only along the 20 km belt of the Indo-Myanmar border.
However, after the ambush on security forces in Chandel District of Manipur on June 4, 2015 by NSCN (K) and other outfits, Nagaland was instantly imposed with the Act. Whereas, Nagaland is not in Manipur and therefore placing the peaceful State of Nagaland under the Act in the name of an incident in Manipur is ironic and illogical, the NTC stated.
It said the GoI is trying to resolve the Naga political issue through peaceful negotiation for which the prerequisite ceasefires were ensured out of mutual trust. And barring NSCN (K); there is no militant group in the State of Nagaland. Despite the existence of few political groups, barring NSCN (K), each has practically proved itself to be nonviolent peaceful segment of the society all through these years, the NTC asserted.
The NTC therefore said it is compelled to question the wisdom of GoI as to “how ceasefires entered into and political dialogue continued when its legal weapons such as AFSPA and all anti-terror laws are forced on the people giving the armed forces special powers to search, raid and arrest without a warrant, causing untold hardship and putting law and order in peril by imposing DAA... as though it is a terrorist infested State.”
In other words, the NTC explained, “olive branches were offered to peace loving Naga political groups on one hand whereas war has been waged against all those who are in ceasefire.”
Reminding that peace and war are never of the same, and the two cannot go together, the NTC pointed out that if GoI is at all honest and sincere at ceasefire and dialogue, the DAA, an action of suppression, cannot be imposed on Nagaland any longer.
