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HomeIndiaNagaland village refuses compensation to victims’ families until ‘culprits brought to justice’

Nagaland village refuses compensation to victims’ families until ‘culprits brought to justice’

The Nagaland govt had announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to the victims' families, following the killing of over a dozen Oting villagers in a security forces ambush on 4 December.

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Guwahati: Villagers of Oting in Nagaland’s Mon district Sunday refused government compensation for the families of the victims killed in a security forces ambush earlier this month, until their demands are met for bringing the “culprits of 21st Para Commandos” to justice, and repeal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA).

On 4 December, six coal miners — residents of Oting — were shot dead by personnel of the Army’s Para Special Forces unit as they were returning home from the mines. Seven others were killed in the subsequent clashes that ensued between the Army personnel and villagers, while one civilian death was reported a day later in the district headquarters after a mob allegedly tried to vandalise the Assam Rifles camp.

Following the incident, the Nagaland government had announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia to each of the families.

In a “clarification letter”, the village council noted that an envelope containing Rs 18,30,000 had been brought to them by Paiwang Konyak, Nagaland Transport Minister and local MLA, and the district’s deputy commissioner, Thavaseelan K.

The council said it assumed this to be “a token of love and gift” from the minister, but learned later that it was an advance payment of the ex-gratia amount. 

“But after knowing the fact that it was an advance payment or installment of an ex-gratia from the State Government for the victim’s family and injured person. The Village Council Oting and victim family will not receive until and unless the culprit of 21st Para Commandos of the Indian Arm Force are brought to justice before the Civil code of law and repealed Arm Force Special Power Act (AFSPA) from the entire North Easter region of India [sic],” the letter read.

Protests planned

A seven-day public mourning period is currently being observed in the state following a declaration last week by the Konyak Union, the apex tribal body of the tribe.

Meanwhile, the Naga Students’ Federation Union also called a rally on 17 December “to strongly aim at voicing out the resentment of the Naga public against the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act”.

In the past week, demonstrations for the repeal of AFSPA have been held in parts of Nagaland as well as Manipur.


Also read: Nagaland massacre shows AFSPA is a deadly addiction. Does Modi govt have the courage to kick it?


 

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