• NET Web Desk

Following the Army killings and massacre in Nagaland, the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) called for immediate arrest of the accused personnel of the Special Forces (21st Para commandos) named in the First Information Report (FIR) filed by the Nagaland Police for the deaths of innocent civilians of Oting village who were gunned down while returning after working at a coal mine at Tiru on 4 December 2021.

It may be mentioned that, the civilians were travelling in a pick-up truck and eight of them died when they were fired upon by the security forces. When the villagers protested against the killing of the civilians before the nearby Assam Rifles camp, at least five more villagers were killed and scores of others injured.

Suhas Chakma, Director of the Rights and Risks Analysis Group (RRAG) stated, “Insurgents travelling in a pick-up truck is unheard of and it is nothing but plain massacre of the civilians. Since the FIR names the accused for the mass murder of the civilians, the law must take its own course and the accused ought to be handed over to the police for the offence of murder. Otherwise, mere statements of anguish or formation of Special Investigation Team or Court of Inquiry are simply not adequate to assuage the outrage against the massacre. The law must be seen to being applied equally to all murder accused.”

He further stated, “The central forces operate under the command of the local police under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and they are deployed to aid the civil administration. The central forces cannot operate on their own and in this case, the FIR makes it absolutely clear that the local police were not informed by the central forces. Justice must be established through fast track trial.”

It may further be noted that, demands for repealing AFSPA has become vocal across several quarters following the Nagaland Massacre.