Our Correspondent
Kohima, Jan. 11 (EMN): The 'March against AFSPA', a two-day walkathon from Dimapur to Kohima covering about 70 km, demanding the repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and justice for the victims of Mon firing incidents, culminated in the state capital on Tuesday afternoon with an overwhelming response from citizens from different walks of life.
After a night’s halt at Piphema on Monday evening, the participants of the walkathon embarked towards Kohima on Tuesday morning, before culminating in front of the Raj Bhavan with various civil organization leaders and people receiving them with water and meals on the roadside.
A brief programme was held, wherein the coordinator of the walkathon Kevitho Kera, who also walked the entire distance, lauded the participants for their effort, courage and sacrifice.
"There is no leader here. The one who came walking from Dimapur till Kohima, every participant, you are the leader. The ones who sacrificed everything walked from Dimapur to Kohima, you are the hero," he said.
He maintained that Nagas were from a warrior race but had left the machete (dao) and peacefully, through non-violence, walked till Kohima to fight against the oppressors.
Kera also asserted that the public had risen and taken its true role -- public leadership.
While stating that India was in principle a democratic country, as founded by its father, he asked if India was ‘ashamed’ of imposing a draconian law like AFSPA.
Pointing out that the walk was just the beginning, he said the Nagas would fight till the end.
Further, he acknowledged the walkers from Dimapur to Kohima and all those who helped the participants during the entire walk.
Meanwhile, Convenor of Global Naga Forum (GNF), Chuba Ozukum saluted the participants, saying that they had ‘fought the good fight for the entire Nagas through their sacrifices’.
He stated that imposition of AFSPA for the last 63 years had led to the killing thousands of people “just because we are good people, we are good citizens and we have a political right and for that reason the military forces have been doing all these kind of killings, tortures, rape on the Naga people".
He reminded the people that ‘it’s just the beginning when it comes to repealing AFSPA and seeking justice for the Oting massacre’.
Advisor of Naga Mother's Association (NMA) Dr. Rosemary Dzuvichu, in her address, extended solidarity to the victims of Oting and of the past, and acknowledged the Konyak community and response from eastern Naga people in the walkathon.
"Our youths are going to make a difference for us; it is time for our youth to lead and we as mothers, we are happy to be a part of this change in the Naga society. It is not old people who are leading, it is our youth who came up with this idea that we must walk and walked like in olden days and go till the Raj Bhavan," she said.
"The question here today is: Is the Raj Bhavan listening? Is the Government of India listening? Is the Government of Nagaland listening? Are the bureaucrats, the officers, the police who are standing here today, are you Nagas? If you are Nagas, you will be in solidarity with the demand; the Naga people are placing today in the memorandum to the Prime minister of India," she said.
"It (AFSPA) is an inhuman law, it is a law that violates every universal right that we Nagas also enjoy, it is not a question of us being militants, it is not a question of being political activists, it is a question of the Government of India looking at us as ‘other’. We still have this colonial attitude shown towards us and we hope today, no matter how many of us are here, we are here to symbolise every organisation, every family, every death that has happened in our land," she added.
The vice-president of Eastern Nagaland Public Union Dimapur (ENPUD), T Sepipa Sangtam, also acknowledged the participants and those who helped during the walk, and called for efforts to continue until AFSPA is repealed.
The president of Konyak Union Dimapur, A Mosa Konyak, urged the people to continue the fight until their demand is met and delivered.
Memorandum submitted to PM
After the brief programme, a memorandum was submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi through the Governor of Nagaland by the Global Naga Forum (GNF), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF), Naga Mothers' Association (NMA), Eastern Nagaland People's Union Dimapur (ENPUD) and Konyak Union Dimapur (KUD).
In the letter, it appealed on behalf of the public of Nagaland and across the Naga homeland "to take cognisance of the serious human rights crime committed by Indian armed forces in the Oting massacre, by bringing justice to the victims, their families, and the injured. That the perpetrators be brought under civil court for criminal prosecution, and immediate and adequate compensation be given to the families of the victims and to the injured".
It appealed to repeal AFSPA, 1958, in toto from the Naga homeland and the Northeast and to take cognisance of past atrocities and excesses committed by the Indian military, and adequate compensation be given to the victims or to the nearest kin and help initiate the process of justice and of righting past wrongs by bringing the perpetrators under civil court for criminal procedures.
Further, it appealed to the prime minister to "to recognise the state government's role of handling law and order of the state, and make provisions that henceforth AFSPA 1958 will not be enforced in Nagaland".