DIMAPUR, MAY 18 (MExN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) while condemning the killing of a person in Pumoa village in Longding district of Arunachal Pradesh on May 16, called upon the Central Government to review and revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).
“It has become an irony that the very mention of armed forces who are supposed to safeguard the people only invokes fear and insecurity in the minds of the people and the Naga people has been at the receiving ends of their mindless actions, shielded by the AFSPA regime, for last many decades,” a press release from the NSF media cell stated.
“This cannot be allowed to be carried forth unabated in our Naga homeland as the life of an innocent civilian is not worth any less than that of a gun bearing soldier,” it stated. It further urged the Government of India not continue with its “policy of militarizing the Naga inhabited areas while on the other giving lip service to solving the protracted Indo-Naga political issue.”
The federation demanded that the Central Government set-up an inquiry committee to be headed by a retired judge of Supreme Court/High Court who will be empowered to conduct an impartial probe into the matter and bring the culprits to book at the earliest.
It also appealed to the National/State Human Rights Commissions as well as the National/State ST Commissions to take suo-moto cognizance of the incident and initiate timely proceedings against those responsible.
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