DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 23 (MExN): The Naga Hoho and the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) South have condemned the killing of Athuan Abonmai, former President of Zeliangrong Baudi (AMN), who was reportedly shot on September 23.
A press release from the Naga Hoho termed the killing as “a cowardice act and deserves condemnation by every right thinking citizen.”
“While the Naga civil societies were struggling all these years for unity and reconciliation among the Nagas, it is disturbing and unfortunate to hear the news of fratricidal killing taking place within the Naga family,” it added.
The Naga Hoho said that “whatsoever the differences we may have, killing is not the answer nor the solution to any disagreement.” “As the teaching of Christianity talks about God’s creation of humankind in His image and God does give life, it is God alone who can take it away. We believe that all human life is sacred and that the sanctity of life is a very important element of the Christian faith,” the Naga Hoho stated.
It urged all political groups to respect the peoples’ sentiments to avoid killings, kidnapping or unnecessary harassment of the innocent public. The need of the hour is reconciliation among a divided society to resolve the common issue at the earliest for a better future, it stated. The Naga Hoho appealed to all political groups to shun the path of violence and come forward to work for “peace to prevail in our land.”
Meanwhile, the NPMHR South said that “in a region where people carry and bear a brutal history of conflict and violence, we are pained at how torture and killing of civilians by both state and non-state actors has devastated our land and our homes.”
Expressing concern that “we are spiralling into an abysmal situation where attempts to deliver peace and justice through violent means are drowning us into darkness,” the NPMHR South stated that “in any movement, there comes a point where violent means serve no purpose and social order gets dissolved in the cross-current of the conflict and human reasoning disappears.” “We are failing to see our reality and continuing to justify our actions during chaos,” a press release from NPHMR South Convenor, Joyson Mazamo and Co-convenor, Koruphun Tantanga stated.
It added that no justification will help salvage the dampened wound caused by the action of the perpetrators.
“Clearly, the gravity of the situation is beyond the reasoning capacity of the perpetrators, or simply, senseless actions do not matter to them. Because what matters to them is serving their vested interests. We are concerned how vested groups will politicize this tragedy to communalize and divide the people,” the NPMHR South stated.
It appealed to all sections of society to remain vigilant, while adding that “our anger and condemnation must not deprive the due course of justice for victims of such senseless killings.” It said that no amount of justification will exonerate what was done to the victim.
