Dimapur: The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has condemned what it called the “overarching approach” of the central government in extending “draconian” Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 in major parts of Nagaland for another six months on the pretext of law and order problem.
The federation, in a release issued by its president Kegwayhun Tep and general secretary Siipuni Ng Philo, on Saturday denounced this “continuous attempt” of the central government to paint the state as a land of lawlessness and chaos.
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The central government on September 30 declared nine districts and 16 police stations in four other districts in Nagaland as “disturbed area” with effect from October 1, 2022.
It said the world is witness to the fact that Nagaland is a beautiful state inhabited by peace-loving citizens which is contrary to what it is made to look like by the impugned order.
“The history of excesses committed by the armed forces upon the Naga people under the cover of AFSPA calls for condemnation from all right-thinking citizens of the world,” the NSF said.
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The federation also reiterated its earlier stand that the Naga people do not merit the draconian Act which has empowered the Indian military and paramilitary war machines with unlimited powers to extend evil claws and judicial impunity to arrest, torture, kill and commit everything inhuman.
According to it, the AFSPA is unconstitutional as it only encourages abuses and serious human rights violations by the armed forces acting on behalf of the state.
The federation appealed to the central government to objectively assess the situation and not act upon biased reports from their various agencies. It also urged the Union ministry of home affairs to take the right steps forward in order to ensure that the controversial law is repealed once and for all from the entire Naga homeland.
The federation affirmed that it will continue to endeavour to ensure that the AFSPA is repealed or completely lifted from the entire Naga homeland. Towards achieving this end, it appealed to the Naga people to extend non-cooperation to the Indian armed forces or paramilitary forces until such time the “evil law” is in operation.