Several civil bodies, including the Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation (RNYO), Assam, Manipur and Nagaland; Rongmei Lu Phuam (RLP), Assam, Manipur and Nagaland; and Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation, Manipur (RNYOM), on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Modi to repeal AFSPA.
In a release, RNYOM stated that the three CSOs jointly submitted the memorandum to PM Modi for immediate repeal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the entire Northeast India.
Recalling the severity of the draconian law, it referred to the incidents such as the recent ‘Oting massacre’ of Mon district, Nagaland on the December 4 and 5 of 2021 when 16 civilians were shot dead by Indian Armed forces; the Oinam incident of Senapati district, Manipur, code named ‘Operation Blue Bird’ of 1987 when the Indian Army carried out mass scale suppressions including killing and tortures; the ‘RIMS massacre’ of 2010 when 10 civilians were shot dead by CRPF at RIMS Gate, Imphal, Manipur; the killing of 14 people by CRPF at random firing at Heirangoithong in Imphal; and the ‘Malom massacre’ of 2010, when 10 civilians were shot dead by CRPF which led to Irom Sharmila Chanu’s two decades hunger strike.
Asserting that more than one-and-half lakh civilians were killed during the past decades under AFSPA, 1958, RNYOM urged PM Modi’s attention and immediate repeal of the contentious Act for peace and freedom for the people of Northeast India.