Naga groups call for Republic Day celebrations boycott

KOHIMA: Various Naga groups and organisations in Nagaland and Manipur have decided to abstain from Republic Day celebrations and urged people to refrain from participating in the national event to protest the killing of 14 civilians by the security forces in December and delay in the Naga peace process.

The Naga organisations, including Eastern Nagaland People's Organisation (ENPO), All Naga Students' Association (ANSA) and United Naga Council (UNC), are also strongly opposing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) and demanding repeal of the 'draconian law'.

The ENPO, ANSA, UNC and various other Naga organisations in Nagaland and Manipur in separate statements on Sunday and Monday strongly criticized the Centre for not giving justice yet to the killings of 14 civilians by the security forces in Mon district of Nagaland on December 4 and 5 last year.

In separate letters to the various Naga organisations and tribal leaders in Nagaland, the ENPO said that in its joint consultative meeting with all Naga civil society organisations on December 14 last year at Longleng, it had resolved that the public of eastern Nagaland shall extend non-co-operation to the Indian security forces until justice is delivered to the victims' families in particular and the people of Nagas in general against the gruesome killings of 14 innocent people.

"The non-cooperation shall be in the form of abstinence from any national celebrations, or such activities. In accordance with the previous resolution, the people of eastern Nagaland shall not participate in the forthcoming Republic Day celebration on January 26," said the letters jointly signed by R Tsapikiu Sangtam, president, ENPO and C Manlang Phom, general secretary, ENPO.

UNC's Manipur unit in a directive said that the instruction is issued in pursuance to the declaration of the UNC presidential council meeting, held last week at Tahamzam in Senapati district of Manipur, to demonstrate the people's resentment against "delaying and frequent backtracking on the political settlement of historic Indo-Naga Framework agreement even after more than six years of signing.

"The Naga people of Manipur would abstain from participation in the ensuing Republic Day celebration as a part of its non-cooperation movement. Therefore, tribe Hohos, district apex organizations, Naga frontal organizations and regional organisations are requested that this directive is strictly enforced in their respective jurisdiction," said S Milan, general secretary of UNC's Manipur unit.

ANSA, in its communication, said that in pursuance to the directive of the UNC, all the constituent units and subordinate bodies of the ANSA in Manipur were requested to "strictly enforce the directive in their respective jurisdiction in order to register their strong resentment against the Government of India for prolonged delaying of the political settlement to the Naga issues and frequent backtracking from the framework agreement signed on August 3, 2015.

"No student and school should participate in the ensuing Republic Day celebration on January 26," said the ANSA directive, signed by the organization's general secretary AC Thotso. (IANS)

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