The 1st year anniversary of the deaths of two young students near Wuzu village, under Meluri sub-division of Phek district has once again brought to the forefront the bitter reality wrought by the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act which has been promulgated in various parts of the north east region including Nagaland since 1958.
It was on July 16 last year, while 46 Assam Rifles and 12 para military commandos were returning from Avankhung area after an encounter with the banned NSCN (K) cadres, wherein two NSCN(K) cadres were killed and the dead bodies were being taken to Meluri police station for legal formalities, that the village leaders of Wuzu, Old Phor and New Phor met the security forces on the way near Wuzu village and requested for the dead body of Puhachu of Wuzu village to be handed over to them or allow them to transfer the bodies into coffins which they had arranged. It was reported that the commander of the security forces refused, after which, an firing ensued resulting in the deaths of two civilians, both Class-VII students –Tüzali of Phor village and Aso of Wuzu village, and injury to a pregnant woman from Wuzu village and a soldier from the Assam Rifles.
The incident had sparked an outcry from the Naga society including students’ community, human rights organizations and tribal bodies, eventually pushing the state government to order an enquiry into the episode. The Assam Rifles also ordered an internal enquiry into the incident. The Naga Students’ Federation and the Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights too conducted a fact-finding inquiry.
However, the moot point is the late start made by the state government-constituted Commission of Inquiry (in November 2015). The Judicial Inquiry Commission headed by its chairman, Justice (Retd.) Veprasa Nyekha, made its first visit to Meluri sub-division more than ten months after the incident on June 18 this year to hold meeting with the witnesses and public leaders of the area at the DB’s Court, Meluri. Although the Commission is said to have admitted to the delay and “lapses on the part of the state government”, this understandably did not go down well with civil societies, particularly those from the Meluri sub-division.
Exactly one year after the incident, expressions of resentment and criticism over the failure of the government and its Inquiry Committee to submit even a draft report, leave alone delivering justice, resonated in the local media. The Pochury community’s frontal organizations – Pochury Mothers’ Association, Pochury GB Union, and the Pochury Hoho – have flayed the government machineries and the police and security forces for “not taking sincere initiative and playing delay tactics” and have demanded fast track action since multi independent enquiries have failed to serve justice.
In the state capital Kohima, the Naga Students’ Federation organized a candlelight service in the heart of the town, in memory of the two student victims of the Wuzu firing. Leaders of Naga frontal organizations including the Naga Hoho, the Naga Mothers’ Association, Naga People’s Movement for Human Rights and the Naga Students Federation spoke on the occasion and univocally urged the Nagaland government to expedite investigations while wondering why the government and the Inquiry Commission had failed to bring out everything in blue print though a year had already passed.
The words of the secretary general of NPMHR, Neingulo Krome, delivered at the candlelight service rings with piercing clarity. “To the Inquiry Commission, I express my disgust, while to the state government, I am ashamed of you.” And today, this column registers its disgust at the way this tragic incident has been treated by those in positions of power. Show a little humanity, we say.
