The editorial of NSCN-IM’s mouthpiece ‘Nagalim Voice’ (the latest edition) has said that “the Oting massacre is a wakeup call for the Nagas, irrespective of political affiliations and the movements, for the repeal of the most unpopular law which give no value to human dignity and life…”
It said that, beginning with the long march from Dimapur to Kohima with hundreds of Nagas, men and women, young and old, against the Armed Forces Special Powers’ Act (AFSPA) and for the dignity of the Naga people as human beings, “the bugle has been sounded for the mass movement against the draconian law which has played hell with the Nagas for the last 64 years”.
The editorial also said that, for such a long period the Nagas has faced the brunt of the AFSPA. It alleged that the Nagas were treated at par with sub-human beings. “For the people with their own history and political identity, this is an oppressive insult,” the NSCN-IM’s mouthpiece also said, adding, “Needless to say, the Oting massacre on December 4 and 5, 2021 is the doing of the AFSPA”.
It also said that such a “daring” use of the AFSPA is because there is no legal force which is strong enough to rein on the Indian Army for misuse of the AFSPA. It added that even the Supreme Court of India is made handicapped when it comes to the legal tussle against AFSPA. “There is however a limit for every devil to have its way,” it added.
The NSCN-IM’s mouthpiece then asserted,”No more bulldozing against the Nagas”. It also said, “We have had enough of the inhuman law. We have had enough of fatherless families. Too many orphans and widows we have to haunt the living Nagas. Too many gun-toting Indian Army personnel in every nooks and corners of Nagalim to suppress the human rights of the Nagas!”
The ‘Nagalim Voice’ editorial then said that the Nagas longing for the elusive peace was made out and clear when the “NSCN signed the second Indo-Naga Ceasefire in 1997 and subsequent to many rounds of political dialogues the historic Framework Agreement was signed on August 3, 2015”. It further said that these two agreements were well projected before the world organizations based in different parts of the world including Geneva, Amsterdam, New York, etc.
“But the Government of India continues to let loose the Indian Army in using the AFSPA against the Naga Army and innocent Naga civilians,” it further alleged. “No confidence building measure was reciprocated by the Indian government and the killing goes on unabated,” it added.
