How long must it go on? AFSPA driving Naga people further away from world’s largest democracy, says Federation
Dimapur, December 12 (MExN): The Nagaland Goan Bura Federation (NGBF) on December 12 wrote to the President of India Ram Nath Kovind seeking immediate repeal of the Armed Forced Special Powers Act (AFSPA 1958) from the State of Nagaland and North East India.
Stating that it represents the village chiefs of Nagaland, representing the hereditary customary institution, the Federation expressed the “pain and perpetual suffering owing to undemocratic, torturous and venomous law in the form of AFSPA existing in our land since 1958.”
The world sees India as the largest and greatest democracy with profound Gandhian principles; must Nagaland State continue to be under siege blanketed by a barbaric, inhuman law? the NGPF posed.
“If Nagaland State is really an integral part of the Indian democratic system and a beneficiary of the provisions of the constitution, is it morally right for the draconian AFSPA to nullify the right to life of Nagas in Nagaland?”
“The life of thousands innocent Nagas have been extinguished during the last 65 years. It is too painful for us. How long must it go on?” it added.
The NGBF further pointed out to the president that with the impunity assured under AFSPA, there is killing of innocent Naga man, woman or child and this is driving “Naga people further and further away for the worlds for the largest democracy.”
“In the process, Indian Armed Forces have, more often than not, exhibited cowardice and not heroism or patriotism in Nagaland,” the Federation further maintained.
Home Minister’s statement ‘factually incorrect’
Meanwhile, with the long pending unresolved Indo-Naga issues “on the table for early solution,” NGBF sought President’s Kovind personal attention as to “how, why and who, in the Indian security forces decided to firstly ambush and slay six unarmed Konyak Naga daily wagers and another eight in the panicky situation a while later,” December 4, 2021.
It further called the statement came from Home Minister Amit Shah on the floor of the Indian Parliament “post the tragedy” as “most unfortunate and dishonorable statement.”
“The sequence of events he narrated to members of parliament was misleading as it was factually incorrect. Through your Excellency's office, NGBF would appeal to Home Minister to retract his statement so that the good image stature of the Home Minister would be restored,” NGBF added.
The letter appended by NGBF President, Sahlem Konyak and General Secretary Shikuto Zalipu further pointed out that the Government of India (G01) and the Naga Political Groups have “officially concluded political negotiation as on 31st October 2019.”
The Prime Minister has assured us as many times that honourable and acceptable political solution would be ensured to our people. We urged your esteemed office to insist on heralding an enduring peaceful co-existence between GOI and Nagas, it said.
