SHILLONG, DEC 9: North East Students’ Organization (NESO) on Thursday called upon all state governments of the North East region including Meghalaya to aggressively pursue with the Centre for the repeal of the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.
The message was conveyed during a sit-in-demonstration organized by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), also a constituent member of the NESO, as a mark of protest against the killing of 14 innocent villagers by the security forces in Mon district of Nagaland on December 4.
Leaders and activists of the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People, Hynniewtrep National Youth Front, Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization, Shillong Bar Association as well as from various NE social organizations also took part in the protest.
Protesters also carried placards which read: “Repeal AFSPA”, “Demilitarized NER”,“GOI if you can repeal farms laws why not repeal AFSPA & CAA”, “Indian Army stop killing innocents”, “remove all military establishments in Shillong”.
The sit-in protest held amid tight security was followed by a candlelight vigil in front of the U Woh Kiang Nangbah Monument at Barik, to pay respect to the victims and to express solidarity with the bereaved families, in their fight for justice.
Speaking at the gathering, NESO chairman Samuel B Jyrwa slammed the Government of India (GOI) for turning a deaf ear to the long pending demand of the North East people for repealing the AFSPA from the whole of the region.
“Instead of repealing this act, the GOI instead continued with the imposition of this draconian law. Therefore, the time has come we should call upon the GOI that if it thinks that NE is part of India then its first step should be to repeal AFSPA from the whole of the NE region,” he said.
“I also called upon the respective governments of each state of the NE region that they should pursue with the Central government for the repeal of this draconian act from the whole of the NE region,” he added.
Jyrwa further warned, “If the GOI do not listen to the voice of the NE people it only shows two things that it treats the NE region as a colony and not as a part of the nation or the country and at the same time it wants to impose this draconian law in order to suppress and oppress the voice of the people through military might but this will have an after effect, it will further alienate the indigenous people of the NE region.”
Condemning the firing incident, the NESO chief said this has been happening from the 1950s till today where the security forces in the whole NE region have been committing these crimes from time to time.
He also cited the operations in the state of Assam and the suppression and oppression by the armed forces in the state of Tripura and the bombing in Aizawl in Mizoram in 1966 by the Indian Air Force.
“The act committed by the security forces has further been emboldened by the imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958,” he further stated.
Reminding that the AFSPA was first imposed by the British government in August 1942 to suppress the Quit India movement, Jyrwa however said the very same government after attainment of independence is imposing the same colonial law upon its own people in the NE region.
“This only reflects the mindset and attitude the GOI has towards the people of the North Eastern region,” he said.
In his speech, KSU chief Lambok Starwell Marngar asked the Central government to listen to the voice of the people and immediately repeal the AFSPA as well as the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and instead implement the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in the entire NE region.
“Otherwise a time will come when the youths will reply back,” he said. Stating that the protest will continue, Marngar also warned, “If the Centre continues to use the army to wipe out the indigenous people of the region, we will also not hesitate to take up arms.”
Echoing similar views, FKJGP general secretary Dundee C Khongsit slammed the double standard attitude of the Government of India.
“When we ask for implementation of ILP in the state, the answer given to us (by the government) is that we are anti-Indians. We are a microscopic community compared to communities in other states across the country,” he said.
He also urged the NESO to further intensify the agitation in all the NE states for the immediate repeal of the anti-tribal people law from the region.
By Our Reporter
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