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11/12/2008: "Government of India contradicts: more than a decade engaged in peace talks with the Naga People but it is undermining the very foundation of these talks? Does the Government of India breeches the ceasefire on which the peace talks are founded: Press release Naga International Support Center"

Naga International Support Center, NISC www.nagalim.nl
A human rights organization
Press Release
Amsterdam, November 12 2008

Government of India contradicts: more than a decade engaged in peace talks with the Naga People but it is undermining the very foundation of these talks? Does the Government of India breeches the ceasefire on which the peace talks are founded:


Point One: The South Asian Terrorism Portal, SATP, declared more than 150 Indian Organizations Terrorist Organizations, among them were the National Socialist Council of Nagaland and the National Democratic Front. Yet the Government of India sponsored SATP declined to show evidence to that supposed fact and did not entertain the declaration of the Government of India that the NSCN, with which it is engaged in peace talks for over a decade, is no terrorist organization. The conflict between India and Nagaland cannot be solved militarily and is not just a matter of law and order, but can only be solved politically. It should be obvious then to the SATP also that no Government can be present at the negotiation table when the ‘other’ party is a terrorist organization.

Point Two: The 41 battalion of the Assam Rifles at Wokha town under jurisdiction of the State Government and with a camp adjacent to the public ground where festivities were held created unprecedented havoc among the Lotha Naga People. Was it only because the people rose to the occasion and confronted the soldiers who shot blanks at them that their commonly known misbehavior was broadly reported in the local press?
The inquiry authorities agreed to conduct in the wake of the protest against the Assam Rifles deflects the attention from the root cause of this and other now so well reported incidents.

The peace talks between the Government of India and the Naga People are on yet this rubber stamp approach of the Government of India needs to be criticized. The Naga International Support Center calls on the Government of India to:

1 – Instruct the management of South Asian Terrorism Portal to rectify its declaration on the NSCN and NDFB and all other organizations which have wrongly been declared.

2 – Direct both the Assam Rifles commanders and the State Government to immediately reform the troops, their commanders and those whom they receive their orders from. That way in the peace talks the creditworthiness of the representatives of the Government of India can be restored and there is no more peace talks on while they are being undermined under the table.

For more information contact us nisc@nagalim.nl or visit our website www.nagalim.nl



Army to investigate into Tokhu Emong “battle” morungexpress Dimapur, November 7 (MExN): The situation in Wokha town in the aftermath of the Tokhu Emong skirmish between public members and the 41 Assam Rifles is reported to be under control. No untoward incidents were reported today. However, the AR has expressed regret and an inquiry has been instated by the army authorities. The AR also did not provide details of the reported arrest of several Kyong youths who were said to have been taken into the AR camp following the “battle”. No contacts could be made with the authorities in concern in this regard. Expressing deep regrets for the entire untoward episode, the Assam Rifles today said to have instated a high-level inquiry in the fracas which was reported to have begun on the night of November 6 and one that ensued late into the night yesterday, Tokhu Emong’s eve.

Yesterday’s “running battle” between the AR and the public of the town had invited several hundred rounds of firing from the personnel and swiftly responded by stone-pelting public members. While no fatalities have been reported till yet, there are an unconfirmed number of injured persons. Most of the injuries happened during the stamped that took place late night yesterday when stone-pelting and firing from the AR ensued. Two persons were reported injured in the firing. Several thousands of the public had gathered at the main public ground to watch the annual Tokhu Emong beauty pageant before chaos broke out as gunfire announced.

IGAR (N) today issued a statement saying the Assam Rifles authorities had taken serious note of the incident that occurred on November 6 at “Wokha DC Ground”, adjacent to 41AR’s cantonment during celebrations of Tokhu Emong. The fracas left several persons injured and also damaged public property. The DIG HQ Nagaland Range (South) personally visited the site today and interacted with civil officials and other prominent members of Wokha town for preliminary fact-finding and to take stock of the situation, stated the IGAR(N) in a note appended by Major Pallab Choudhury, PRO. The Assam Rifles authorities have ordered a high-level inquiry to investigate into the entire episode and have assured that stern action will be initiated against the erring AR personnel, if found guilty. Major Gen J P Nehra of IGAR (N) has conveyed his solidarity to the Lotha community and expressed regrets about the unwarranted incident, the PRO said. “The army and Assam Rifles stand committed for the people of Nagaland .May the Almighty keep a benevolent eye on the Lothas and make the Tokhu Emong celebrations a grand success” the IGAR stated in its note.

Kyongs want 41 AR withdrawn Nagaland Post DIMAPUR, NOV 9 (NPN):
In the aftermath of the pre-Tokhu incident at Wokha where 41 Assam Rifles resorted to blank firing following a scuffle between some youths and the AR jawans, the Kyong Hoho and its frontal organizations have condemned the incident and demanded immediate withdrawal of the 41 AR battalion.
A joint press statement issued by the Kyong Hoho, chairman, general secretary; Kyong Students’ Union, president; Kyong Eloe Hoho, president and Wokha Town Council, chairperson stated that this was resolved in a meeting held with Wokha Town Colony Chairmen, GBs and elders on November 7. In addition, the meeting also resolved not to allow the army to henceforth pump water from the public water source (Etsu Chuka). The meeting also resolved that members of the general public have been barred form entering the AR camp from now on. It further resolved to strictly view anyone found procuring liquor from the AR camp. The Kyong organizations observed that the present location of the AR camp was in the heart of public inhabited area and thus created unwanted situation. In this regard, the house resolved that the present cantonment should be shifted immediately. It may be mentioned that on November 5 one AR jawan identified as Mahesh Singh along with two local females had gone to Hotel Ni-Li at around 2 p.m and asked the manager for a room to stay. When he was told that all rooms were booked, Singh reportedly threatened the manager that he would come back the next day. At this, an unidentified person beat up the jawan.
According to the press release, the jawan later came back to the hotel in the evening in three gypsies with other jawans and assaulted the manager and the occupants of the hotel. It said that the jawan also created “situation” on November 6 on the pretext of searching Naga National workers. Condemning the incident as “senseless”, the organizations said that the biggest festival of the Kyong community celebrated for peace, prosperity and reconciliation was spoiled by the 41 AR by “shedding blood” to its members. According to the statement, the Kyongs traditionally held as an omen tantamount to cancellation of the auspicious occasion if any unwanted situation arose when the Tokhu Emong was being scheduled.