The real face of protests against AFSPA in Nagaland

The day is not easy for Mr Imli Yimchunger (Name Changed), the principal of a school in Kohima, Nagaland. He did not sleep well last night and arrived at the school early morning to meet all his teachers. No, there are no exam or any education related commitments. He is expected to moblise all his students and take them to participate in protests against Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). He has got stern warning from one of the terror outfit and he is in no position to ignore it.

Mrs Pretoli Aye (name Changed) has sent her 11 year old daughter to school anticipating that after lockdown restrictions have been lifted, the girl may be able to resume her studies. She is surprised to see her daughter standing in market protesting against a law about which the child does not know anything nor she has ever experienced anything.

A correspondent asked two young girls protesting in Dimapur about AFSPA, none of them was aware of the law but said that they were told to come here by their class teacher who made it mandatory. They were handed over the placards at the school which bore the name of a student organisation and told to hold aloft at the rally.

Photo: Locals stage a protest in Kohima, demanding repeal of AFSPA (Photo: PTI)

Interestingly, all the three incidents are from differtent schools run by government of Nagaland or by private institutions recognized by the Nagaland Board of School Education or CBSE. While freedom of speech and expression needs to be instilled among all citizens, starting with children, technically, it is the responsibility of the state government to ensure that the education system of the state is used to create successful people in life and not allow the sowing of seeds of hatred, ill-will and disrespect against the state or security forces. The way they allowed terror outfits and some differently inclined civil society groups try to impose their parellel governance over these institutions, shows the complete failure on part of the government. In the words of the former Governor RN Ravi, it is ‘Questioning the legitimacy of the State'.

The way these outfits are using innocent students & civil population continuously poisoning the innocent and impressionable minds at every opportunity, for their obvious interests and trying to create unrest in a state largely devoid of violence between the security forces and Assam Rifles on the one hand and insurgents on the other, indicate a different conspiracy and raises two million dollar questions-

First, “Who is actually ruling the state - Democratically elected government or terror organisations?”

And

Second, “Whether at all the State Government is in control of things or complicit with those creating unrest?”

Had the student unions tried to force their writ on schools or colleges or other educational institutions, forcing them to send volunteers for protests, perhaps in any other better governed State or a State where the state is not a mere passive spectator, the State government would have ordered the closure of schools and colleges to avert the malicious trap and would have also got hostels vacated. But the same did not happen in Nagaland. This can not be without a reason

The unfortunate incident in Mon- Nagaland on the evening of 4th December 2021, apparently looks indefensible but has fueled up the protests and various groups who were lying silent. Some of these self-proclaimed leaders suddenly got an opportunity to once again scale up the demand of repelling of AFSPA on the grounds of this incident. On 26th December 2021, Central government was compelled by the syndicate of Political parties, so called social groups and tribal bodies to appoint a special committes to gave its recommendation about repulsion of AFSPA from North-Eastern states with special emphasis to Nagaland. This is a clear case of armtwisting the central government using unfair means. Certainly, there is some hidden agenda behind the demand and we must understand that.

Government accepted that the incident was a botched up operation and not only constituted a high level SIT to investigate the circumstances but the Union Home Minister made a statement in Parliament too. There is no ambiguity in government actions but the current protests where young and innocent students are made face of the protests even when they are not aware of the law itself are a serious concern. Certain political and social bodies who are having discreet links with terror organisations are driving the series of protests to armtwist the government and force it to repell the AFSPA. They claim that it is a draconian law which has led to atrocities by security forces in the state. The real target is not AFSPA but the Indian Security Forces. The ultimate aim is to fuel hatred against SFs and the country.

But, when we try to find out the cases of such atrocities in the past, we find rare cases especially since 1997 when a ceasefire was in place with key militant outfits. Except the recent incident of Mon, there is no major input available of any human rights violation, harassment or atrocities by security forces in last few years. There has been no Cordon and Search operations, there has been no operations in the built up areas and security forces have remained friendly with the locals. It is, therefore, a matter of surprise that how the student, social and political organisations of not only Nagaland but nearby

Manipur, Tripura, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya have become actively involved in the protests even when there is no AFSPA in some of these states. These things raise an alarm and forces us to think as who is going to be the ultimate beneficiary if AFSPA is removed from the state?

In Nagaland, the lifeline of the state is controlled by a dirty coalition of terror organisations, Politicians and various social organisations with terror groups calling shots as they have the power of guns. Everything revolves around money and year after year, people of Nagaland are suffering. This is the fact which is hindering the development of the state. With the Government of India being the biggest money bag for the State, it by default also becomes the money bag for the insurgent and terror groups. The control of state finances and implementation of projects, programs and schemes is nothing short of a mockery. The accountability based on documentation and ‘utilisation certificates’ has been exploited to such an extent that within months of the money being placed at the state's disposal, Utilisation Certificates are prepared. Nagaland beats even better governed states like Kerala at speed of paper trail and documentation while delivery remains tardy.

Today, it is because of AFSPA that security forces have been able to put some check on activities of these terror groups but repulsion or partial revocation of the application will not only give a free run to the unlawfuls and will actually make lives of local people

miserable. Some of the terror groups have close connections with terrorist organisations of other states and also with maoist insurgents of central India. There have been cases like 2015 Ambush in Pallel, Manipur where direct involvement of one of the Nagaland based terror groups was proved. Naxalites have been taking refuge, buying arms and got training from these Naga terror groups as well. Some experts say that in case AFSPA is removed, Nagaland will not only become a safe heaven for drug syndicates, Illegal arms dealers and terrorists of other states but local terror organisations wil also facilitate training and logistics of other terrorist organisations. An anarchical situation suits their combined interests.

That’s exactly the terror organisations want and that’s why they are compelling not only students but also women, workers, labourers and other segments of society to forcefully appear for protests so that a pressure can be created over the union government. Statements of some of the politicians including those in power since they live on the mercy of these groups add fuel to the fire. These statements and utterances play on the emotions of the ordinary civilians and result in the minds being held hostage. Such tendencies will be suicidal in a bordering state and government of India has to actively think about it. The peace process which started in 1997 has gone years behind now and if we are not able to crack down heavily on the dirty coalition of terror groups, social bodies and politicians, things may turn worst in Nagaland. Whether the State government has any will do do it is questionable too.