Factions, armed forces banned from entering Oting village
Oting Citizens’ Office (OCO) has vehemently condemned the barbaric cowardice act of the Indian Arm Forces and their atrocities towards the innocent civilians and youngsters on December 4, at Longkhao/Yatong, Oting village.
In a press note, the OCO through its media cell said that “all dramatic heroic reports of the fleeing cowards submitted in the Parliament, are totally false and fabricated. The statement made by prominent leader in the house is unwarranted and uncalled for.”
The forum also dared the Indian Armed Forces to come out clean so as to deliver timely justice to the victims’ families.
Following the incident, the forum said that the people of Oting have indefinitely banned entry to Oting village, including Lower Tiru, by groups and parties belonging to various factions and the Indian Armed forces. It warned that in the event of anyone found violating the directive, the people of Oting should not be held responsible in any manner whatsoever.
The forum further appealed all publicity and media houses not to be biased and twist the issue by misinterpreting it, but to rely this statement issued from Oting village.
While expressing regret for the delay in sharing the ground reality, the forum said it wished to narrate actual truth of the sequence of incident that led to the killing of innocent civilians.
Shah’s statement misleading: NPCC
Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has termed Union home minister Amit Shah’s statement in Parliament that the Oting killings were a case of “mistaken identity” as uncalled for and a brazen attempt to mislead the country.
NPCC president K Therie in a press note insisted that if it was a case of mistaken identity, then the armed forces should spell out whom they were looking for when the entire resisting Naga forces have signed ceasefires with Centre and only those that remained were unarmed civilians. “We would like to hear from the Home Minister,” he said.
Secondly, referring to Shah’s allegation that the pickup truck with eight occupants comprising of mining labourers travelling home to Oting village had refused to stop when signalled and attempted to speed away, Therie said survivors have claimed that no one had signalled them to stop and were fired upon indiscriminately without any warning.
Moreover, he pointed out that the ambush was laid in a stretch of road that was a kucha dirt road with no avenue to speed away.
The NPCC chief claimed that the pickup truck owner, who was driving the vehicle, also owned a backhoe in the mines and was a small contractor and a peaceful civilian. The remaining occupants were all working as labourers in the mines, he added.
Referring to allegations that troops of Indian Army’s 21 Para Special Forces based at Jorhat massacred 13 civilians in Tiru valley on December 4 evening, Therie pointed out that since law and order was a State subject, the intelligence report should first be in the knowledge of chief minister and home minister of Nagaland. Therefore, he concluded that the operation was conducted with the chief minister’s permission and said the government should identify who authorised the 21 Para Special Forces to carry out the operation.
He demanded that the culprits of the dastardly act must be arrested without any further delay for, their brazen attempt to cover up the massacre was already well known.
Recalling that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958 was imposed in 1958 by Government of India and had since been extended from time to time, he pointed out that on no occasion had the State government adopted or invoked the Act.
He said prior to the cease, thousands of lives were lost, including politicians who were assassinated. And when GoI was confronted on the issue of AFSPA, he said the people were always told that the Act was for their safety and security.
Regretting that even after the ceasefire, regional political party led by Neiphiu Rio at the helm of affairs for 18 years could not take up seriously AFSPA with the Centre, Therie observed that after the most unfortunate loss of 14 precious lives, he now demanded withdrawal of AFSPA from Nagaland.
Since all the factions were under ceasefire with GoI and negotiations had concluded, he reasoned that there was no further requirement for AFSPA.
He said there was no longer any justification for continuing with AFSPA in the State and should be repealed immediately.
Shah’s remark irresponsible: NSCN (I-M)
NSCN (I-M) said it took strong exception to the “irresponsible statement” made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the Indian Parliament on Oting’s mass killing by the 21st Para Commandos of the Indian Army.
NSCN (I-M) said that Shah’s statement comes at a time when the Nagas were in a state of mourning in solidarity with the Naga brethren belonging to the Konyak community in Mon district. It said that, in a situation like this, Amit Shah was expected to show political maturity and practical statesmanship in order to cool down the socio-political upheavals.
Ironically, NSCN (I-M) said that Shah had poured fuel to the burning issue by standing behind the Para Commandos under his command “with his fictional sleuth stories supporting the Para Commandos for their heinous act of killings.”
This was like rubbing salt and chili in the wounds of the Nagas, it added.
