GUWAHATI: Amid growing demand for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the aftermath of civilian killings by the Army in a botched ambush at Oting in Nagaland's Mon district, the Centre on Thursday extended the state’s Disturbed Area status vis-a-vis AFSPA by six months.
A notification from Piyush Goyal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs, said that the Centre thinks the whole of Nagaland is in such a "disturbed and dangerous condition" that the use of armed forces in the aid of civilians is necessary and therefore, Nagaland will be a disturbed area for six months with effect from December 30.
The extension of AFSPA, however, does not infringe on the functioning of the committee set up by the Centre to look into lifting of the Act from Nagaland and other parts of Northeast. On December 26, the Nagaland government had issued a statement saying a committee would be set up to look into lifting of AFSPA.
The statement had said the committee would be headed by MHA Additional Secretary-Northeast and have Nagaland's Chief Secretary, DGP, Inspector General of Assam Rifles (North) and a representative of CRPF as members.
Two days later, however, the MHA issued an order saying "in order to review AFSPA in Nagaland, a committee is constituted" with the Registrar General & Census Commissioner of India as its chairman and Nagaland Chief Secretary, DGP, Director General of Assam Rifles and Joint Director of Intelligence Bureau as members.
The MHA Additional Secretary is a Member Secretary while the Director General of Military Operations is a special invitee. The MHA order had stated that the committee would review the AFSPA’s application in Nagaland and make recommendations within three months.
Meanwhile, various Naga organisations registered their protest on the Centre’s decision to continue with AFSPA. Naga Students' Federation viewed it as an insult to Nagas at this time of grief. “It is another attempt to rub salt to the wounds caused by the botched Army operation at Oting on December 4,” the students’ body said.
The Konyak (tribal) civil society organisations of Mon said the extension of AFSPA was a violation of human rights. "Declaration of AFSPA extension is a calculated move that undermines human dignity and value while the Konyaks are crying for justice. The region has been tagged disturbed when its people have denounced any form of violence."
Nagaland SIT's Army interrogation likely to continue today
GUWAHATI: The Nagaland government-constituted Special Investigation Team, probing the December 4 killing of civilians during and after a botched ambush by the Army at Oting in the state’s Mon district, interrogated personnel of the 21 Para in connection with the incident on Thursday.
The interrogation continued till late evening at the guest house of Rainforest Research Centre in Assam’s Jorhat. The 21 Para is Jorhat-based. Nagaland Police and the state's home department remained tightlipped.
The only senior officer who responded was DGP T John Longkumer, who said, "It's not possible for me to comment." By afternoon, all that defence sources confirmed was that the SIT arrived in the morning and interrogation is likely to continue till Friday.