Massive Protest Rally in Kohima Against AFSPA

A massive rally was organised by the Naga Students’ Federation in Kohima, the capital city of Nagaland, to protest against Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

Protesters stood with banners and placards that read “how many times must bullets be fired before repealing AFSPA”, “AFSPA rears devil in the Indian armies” and “ban AFSPA, not our voice”, ”Nagas Lives Matters Too”, ”Nagas Want Peace Not Atrocities” etc.

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The Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO), like the Konyak Union, swore to “abstain from any national celebrations”, promised “non-participation in Army civic programmes” and said it would not allow recruitment drives in the area, added NDTV.

NESO advisor Dr. Samujjal Bhattacharjya also attended the protest rally.

On Thursday, those protests in the eastern part of the state intensified – there was a dawn-to-dusk bandh in Mon district, government and private offices were shut, and vehicular traffic disrupted.

Vehicular traffic was paralysed as members of the (ENPO), the apex tribal body, staged demonstrations in Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire and Noklak districts, and the Konyak Union, to which the slain civilians belonged, held protest rallies in Mon, where shops were shuttered and angry residents flooded streets.

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Protests across the state have highlighted the immediate arrest of the soldiers involved in the botched Army op as one of their demands.

They have also demanded Home Minister Amit Shah withdraw a “false” and “fabricated” statement given in Parliament on December 6.

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The Army has expressed its regret over the killings and an internal investigation, led by an officer of Major-General rank, is underway, while the soldiers involved face a murder case filed by the police.

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