- The horrific killing of 14 innocent civilians in Nagaland during the last week comes at an extremely inopportune time for the Northeast region when every effort at establishing long-lasting peace in the insurgency-ridden area appeared to be bearing fruit on expected lines. People in the know would acknowledge how delicate the prevailing situation in Northeastern parts of the country finds itself in owing to the insurgency. The successive Central Governments have placed tremendous emphasis on ensuring peace and tranquility but have met with limited success owing to forces inimical to peace playing spoilsport.
PC: Gaon Connection
- As compared to a couple of decades back, the overall security scenario in the region has seen remarkable improvements but sporadic incidents of insurgency attacks disturb the peace earned after much diligence though. One such incident occurred last week when the army operation resulted in the tragic death of 14 civilians in Nagaland leading to arson and rioting from the agitated people. The incident must lead to a quick and credible investigation as justice must be seen to be done in right earnest. As reports emerged and the Union Home Minister clarified in the Parliament, it is well established by now that commandos acted on faulty intelligence leading to civilian killings.
- Make no mistake, counterterrorism operations are fraught with imminent dangers and are not easy at all. Nonetheless, bad intelligence gathering cannot also be any justification for the deaths of innocent civilians. Trading a fine line demands meticulous planning and execution. The proscribed NSCN(K) is a dangerous outfit that is actively pursuing insurgency in Nagaland. However, those home-bound miners who died were simply non-combatants, and that has to be the driving point of both the army’s court of inquiry as well as the Nagaland government’s SIT probe.
PC: Sumir Karmakar
- Remember, any number of past inquiries have failed to inspire confidence because no soldier operating under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has been charged, far less put behind bars, for killing civilians. The draconian law that gives security forces sweeping powers of arrest and counterinsurgency continues to be operational in Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur. It is interesting to note that the Centre has denied prosecution sanctions under AFSPA in all cases recommended by the J&K government against army men who also fight with their lives on the firing line.
- Hence, many argue that AFSPA allows security forces to be less circumspect, leading to tragedies like the Manipur Malom Massacre in 2000. No wonder, anger in Nagaland has already led to violent protests, costing more lives. Neither New Delhi nor Kohima would want to see Nagaland and the wider Northeast hosting another round of militancy. As mentioned above, it is a sensitive time in NE what with Myanmar reverting to a military junta earlier this year, refugees and weapons have been flowing into NE easily. The situation should be addressed adroitly without wasting much time that might allow regional insurgent groups a much-needed elbow room to strike. You see, optics about acting with intent is equally important too.
