Naga bodies demand removal of Assam Rifles' "Friends of the Hill People" slogan

DIMAPUR: A number of prominent bodies in Nagaland are now demanding the Assam Rifles to remove its slogan -- "Friends of

the Hill People" in view of the slaughter of unarmed civilians at the hands of armed forces.

The Naga Council Dimapur, along with Dimapur based CSOs, Tribal Hohos, and unions, while condemning the Oting incident which led to the killing of 14 unarmed civilians in Mon district of Nagaland submitted a Memorandum to the Governor of Nagaland through the office of Deputy Commissioner of Dimapur.

The organizations demanded the governor to induct eminent independent person(s) in the investigation team and complete

the probe at the earliest.

"Arrest all the Indian armed forces officers and security personnel involved in the shooting and killing in Mon as well as prosecute them like any criminal," they added further.

On December 4, security forces opened fire on civilians, killing 14 and injuring 11 more in Nagaland's Mon district in three consecutive episodes, the first of which was a case of mistaken identity. One soldier also died in rioting which followed.

The bodies demanded the governor to immediately address the demands of the Konyak Union.The Union has said that Assam Rifles must immediately vacate Mon district on moral ground for failing to provide security to its citizens whereby the military forces from other state had intruded and committed the Oting Yatong massacre on 4th December, 2021.

The bodies further urged the Governor for the rolling back of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from all Naga-inhabited areas. "The law is a threat to the people and basic structure of the Indian Constitution; undemocratic, inhuman, and violates human rights," they wrote.

They also demanded an early settlement to the protracted Naga political issue which has apparently reached a stalemate,

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