Nagaland: NSCN (IM) terms killing of civilians by Assam rifles as ‘black day’

Terming the killing of 15 civilians by Assam rifles personnel at Mon district in Nagaland on Saturday as Black Day, the NSCN (IM) on Sunday said that security forces will ‘never be able to wash its hands off, smeared with the blood of innocent Nagas’.

“Unprecedented in recent history, the absurdity and insanity of the Indian security forces have been exposed in the most brutish manner, a ‘black day’ for the Nagas as the Nagas mourns the barbaric killing of fifteen (15) innocent villagers in Oting village under Konyak Region (in Mon district, Nagaland) in the evening of the 4th December 2021,” NSCN (IM) said in a statement.

The outfit said that the Indian security forces have brought about a toxic storm of bloody dust in Nagalim is not a new thing but a repeat of the past to suppress the legitimate Naga political movement.

“The Indian security forces will never be able to wash its hands off, smeared with the blood of innocent Nagas no matter how it comes out with a nonsensical statement which is linked to credible intelligence reports of movement of insurgents,” said NSCN (IM).

It is learnt that the killing was the work of the trigger-happy 21st Para Commandos/Assam Rifles.

The Nagas had in the past faced trigger-happy Indian security forces, acting with impunity under the Government of India’s Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act/AFSPA which is mainly used against the Naga political movement, said the Naga rebel group.

“Notwithstanding the ongoing Indo¬Naga political dialogue that has seen much fruition during the period running more than two decades, the violence against the Nagas continues unabated. This is one of the most unfortunate incidents of the Indo-Naga ceasefire signed in 1997,” it said.

Under this situation, we find it difficult to use the right words to condemn the killing of unarmed civilians and it cannot be justified in any manner in this part of the civilized world (Nagalim) where the Indo-Naga peace process has seen much progress, said NSCN (IM).

Such a barbaric act of killing innocent people is against humanity and those responsible for such heinous acts should be brought to justice, it said.

NSCN (IM) expresses its deep anguish and conveys heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families in this hour of grief.

“We also share our sympathy with those who are grievously injured and pray for their speedy recovery,” said the outfit.