Nagaland killing: Konyaks remind President about demand for probe completion in 30 days
KOHIMA: Konyak civil society organisations on Thursday wrote a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, reminding him of their demand for completion of investigation into the killing of 14 civilians by security forces near Oting village Nagaland's Mon district within 30 days, which is January 5 next year.
They submitted the letter through the governor following a massive rally.
The Konyak CSOs -- Konyak Union, Konyak Students' Union and Konyak Women Organisation, told the President that the 21 Para had "massacred" the 14 innocent civilians by taking advantage of the "blanket immunity" provided by AFSPA, and terming the incident as that of "mistaken identity" won't be tolerated.
They reiterated their other demands mentioned in their December 6 letter, which includes removal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 from the Northeast and identification of the accused soldiers and their trial in a civil court.
The Konyak CSOs imposed a 10-hour bandh in Mon district and held protest rallies against the killing.
The Eastern Nagaland Peoples' Organisation (ENPO), an apex body of six tribal organisations in five districts in the region, also directed other outfits in the remaining four districts to extend solidarity with the Konyaks and hold rallies in their respective district headquarters.
The other tribal bodies accordingly held demonstrations in Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and Noklak districts.
Bandhs affected normal life in the five districts, as government and private offices and business establishments were shut and vehicles remained off the roads.
ENPO president R Tsapikiu Sangtam said that the rallies and bandhs in the five districts were peaceful.
Fourteen civilians were killed in firing incidents in Mon district on December 4 and 5.
Union Home Minister had said in the Parliament that six civilians were "mistaken" as insurgents and killed by security forces near Oting village after the vehicle they were travelling in did not stop when signaled to.
He said that eight others were killed in subsequent clashes, and the security forces acted in "self-defence".
However, Konyak Union rejected the government's claim and demanded an apology from Shah and retraction of his "misleading statement".
Families of the deceased have also refused to accept the compensation announced by central and state governments till they got justice.