Mon, July 3 (MExN): The Konyak Union (KU) has issued a caution to the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent), or ULFA (I), demanding that the group “immediately cease all forms of activity within Konyak jurisdiction.”
In a press release, the KU reiterated its “firm stance” and expressed deep concern over continued reports of ULFA (I) operatives using Mon district in Nagaland as a safe haven or strategic hideout. “Despite the public appeal and strong cautionary note issued on 27th April 2021 regarding the group's involvement in abduction and extortion activities in Assam, using Mon district as safe haven or strategic hideout, the Konyak Union has been reliably informed that ULFA (I) operatives continue to remain active in the area,” it stated.
“This blatant disregard for the Union’s earlier appeal is unacceptable, and the Konyak Union will no longer remain a mute spectator,” the statement read.
The KU further cautioned all factions and individuals engaged in anti-social or disruptive activities to desist immediately. “The Konyak Union shall not be held accountable for any consequences that may arise from decisive action taken against such perpetrators,” it cautioned.
Alongside this, the union also appealed to security forces deployed in the region to “exercise utmost restraint and refrain from harassing innocent public and daily wage earners under the mere suspicion of being associated with underground activities without credible evidence.”
Such actions, the union said, appear to be “driven by ulterior motives of appeasing superiors or seeking promotions and rewards.” It also appealed to the concerned authorities to avoid “booking innocent citizens under harsh legal provisions without thorough and proper verification.”
“It is deeply concerning that, in pursuit of bail and legal redress, many individuals are compelled to sell off their ancestral lands, homes, cultivated fields, and other vital properties just to secure their release,” the union stated.
Recalling the 2021 Oting massacre, in which 13 civilians were killed by security forces in a botched counter-insurgency operation, KU added that the incident “remains fresh in the collective memory of Konyak people.” It reminded the forces that such tragedies must never be repeated.
