On the third anniversary of Oting massacre, the Global Naga Forum (GNF) has stressed on the urgent need to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), which it described as “a law that has long inflicted violence and oppression on the people of Nagaland and the Northeast.”
On December 4, 2021, 14 civilians were killed by Indian army at Oting village under Mon district. GNF through its media cell stated that the heinous crime perpetrated by the Indian Army under the shield of the “draconian” AFSPA “remains an indelible scar” on the collective conscience of the Naga people.
GNF stated “adding insult to injury” that the union home minister “shamelessly dismissed this massacre” in the Parliament as an act of “mistaken identity,” an explanation, which it said defied justice and humanity.
Further, the forum said that the rejection by the Supreme Court of India of the petition filed by the Nagaland government for the prosecution of the culprits reflected a systemic failure to hold those responsible accountable.
“Such actions not only disregard the pain and loss endured by the victims’ families but also perpetuate a culture of impunity,” Global Naga Forum stated. The forum has extended deepest condolences to the bereaved families, whose grief, it said remained compounded by the government’s failure to deliver justice.
Remembering the lives of the innocent taken on that fateful day, GNF reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to stand with the families in their quest for truth and justice. “It is a call to the conscience of every citizen and institution in India to rise against such state-sanctioned atrocities and demand accountability, justice, and respect for human dignity,” the forum remarked.
Asserting that justice delayed must not become justice denied, the GNF said “Let the cry for justice from Oting echo across the nation and awaken its conscience.”