Families of Nagaland firing victims decline compensation, demand justice first

The civil society organisations of Mon also said the families would not accept the compensation until justice was delivered to the victims as well as the survivors and their family members.

The civil societies of Tizit in Mon district of Nagaland took out a “mass protest rally” on Saturday demanding the repeal of AFSPA (Photo | EPS) 

GUWAHATI: The families of the firing victims of Oting village in Nagaland’s Mon district made it clear that they will not accept compensation as long as the commandos of 21 Para, responsible for the December 4 killings of 13 civilians, are not punished and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is not repealed from the whole of Northeast.

Earlier, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had announced that the state government would provide ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the families of each of the victims, and the Government of India would offer Rs 11 lakh and a job to a member of every family.

Taking cognizance of a statement on social media, the Oting Village Council said the victims’ families would not accept compensation unless the “culprits of 21 Para” were brought to justice before the civil court of law and the AFSPA was repealed from the entire Northeast.

“On December 5, when the people of Oting were struggling with the crucial period of time with post-mortem, Konyak Union meeting, funeral arrangement, receiving guests, etc, this envelope containing an amount of Rs 18.30 lakh was brought before the village council by Minister Paiwang Konyak and District Magistrate (K Thavaseelan)…

“The council assumed it as a token of love and gift from the minister. But soon it learned that it was an advanced payment or installment of ex gratia from the state government for the victims’ families and the injured,” the council said in a statement.

The civil society organisations of Mon also said the families would not accept the compensation until justice was delivered to the victims as well as the survivors and their family members.

They demanded that the government allocate a plot of land so a monolith in honour of the victims could be erected.

The influential Nagaland Gaon Bura Federation appealed to President Ram Nath Kovind through a memorandum to take some urgent measures for the repeal of AFSPA.

It highlighted the “perpetual” sufferings of people due to the existence of the “undemocratic, torturous and venomous” law in the state since 1958.