Nagaland cabinet to tell Centre to repeal Afspa

“Repealing of Afspa is a subject matter of the Centre. The Centre in consultation with the state government imposes the Act. However, after reviewing the situation, we are putting forward an appeal to the Centre for Afspa’s repeal,” tribal affairs minister Temjen Imna Along told media persons in Kohima after the Cabinet meeting. State government spokesperson Neiba Kronu said the Cabinet has decided to write to the Centre to immediately repeal Afspa.

“An emergency Cabinet meeting was called to discuss the firing incident in Mon district and the subsequent incident that followed in Mon town. The Cabinet was briefed on actions taken by the government, including setting up of an SIT headed by an IGP and four other members. The Cabinet decided that SIT should complete its probe and submit its report in a month,” Kronu said. Fourteen civilians were shot dead by security forces in two incidents on Saturday and Sunday.

Meanwhile, the Konyak Union, an organisation of one of the largest ethnic Naga groups, imposed a day-long bandh in Mon district on Tuesday to protest the killings and announced a seven-day mourning from Wednesday. They have asked security forces to desist from patrolling the area. If law enforcers overlook the warning, they will be responsible for “any untoward incident that may occur,” it said. KU also demanded that 27 Assam Rifles be immediately vacated from Mon district for failing to provide security to citizens. The Nagaland Cabinet has decided to support the demands put forward by KU to the President of India.

In the Lok Sabha, National People’s Party MP Agatha Sangma demanded Afspa’s repeal. Speaking during Zero Hour, Sangma, an ally of BJP in Meghalaya, said a “condemnable” incident took place in the Mon district. It also reminds us of an incident that took place in Imphal, in 2000, known as the Malom massacre in which over 10 civilians were shot dead. It prompted a 28-year old Irom Sharmila to go on a 16-year-long hunger strike,” Sangma said.