GUWAHATI: In a departure from the practice of yesteryears when militant outfits in the northeast would collectively give boycott calls of India’s two most important national days, several Naga groups led by the Konyak Union have given the call to abstain from Republic Day celebrations in protest against the Oting killings, AFSPA and the delay in the Naga peace process,
The Konyak Union has directed every Konyak, students, government employees and politicians to “completely abstain from participating in the Republic Day celebrations within its jurisdiction on January 26” and cautioned that “any individual/group that defies its directive shall be considered as a traitors and action shall be met out as per the law of the land.”
Following a request from the state government, the Konyak civil society organizations have, however, agreed to allow the government to unfurl the national flag at their respective administrative offices, but will not have any participation of the people. It stated that non-delivery of justice for the killings even after 50 days is nothing but a “delay tactics of justice” and appealed to the state government to ensure delivery of justice without much delay.
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has also directed the Naga youth and students’ community to stay away from the celebrations in protest against the continuation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958. It called on the Naga people to “disassociate themselves from such celebrations for as long as the Government of India continues with its policy of militarizing our Naga homeland.” It also appealed to the government to ensure that the SIT report on the Oting massacre be made public and the culprits punished at the earliest.
In Manipur, which has a sizable population of Naga people, the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) directed that “no student(s) and school(s) should participate in the ensuing Republic Day Celebration on 26th January 2022” to register a strong resentment against the Government of India for delaying the Indo-Naga political settlement and frequent backtracking from the historic Framework Agreement signed on 3rd August 2015.”
The Konyak Union has directed every Konyak, students, government employees and politicians to “completely abstain from participating in the Republic Day celebrations within its jurisdiction on January 26” and cautioned that “any individual/group that defies its directive shall be considered as a traitors and action shall be met out as per the law of the land.”
Following a request from the state government, the Konyak civil society organizations have, however, agreed to allow the government to unfurl the national flag at their respective administrative offices, but will not have any participation of the people. It stated that non-delivery of justice for the killings even after 50 days is nothing but a “delay tactics of justice” and appealed to the state government to ensure delivery of justice without much delay.
The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has also directed the Naga youth and students’ community to stay away from the celebrations in protest against the continuation of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958. It called on the Naga people to “disassociate themselves from such celebrations for as long as the Government of India continues with its policy of militarizing our Naga homeland.” It also appealed to the government to ensure that the SIT report on the Oting massacre be made public and the culprits punished at the earliest.
In Manipur, which has a sizable population of Naga people, the All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) directed that “no student(s) and school(s) should participate in the ensuing Republic Day Celebration on 26th January 2022” to register a strong resentment against the Government of India for delaying the Indo-Naga political settlement and frequent backtracking from the historic Framework Agreement signed on 3rd August 2015.”
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