Nagaland Civilian Killings: Kin of Victims Refuse Compensation, Demand Justice

The village has demanded that army personnel involved should be “brought to justice” and AFSPA be repealed.

Funeral service of the 13 deceased villagers in Nagaland.

(Photo: The Quint)

Days after 13 civilians were gunned down by the armed forces in Nagaland’s Oting village in a case of “mistaken identity,” the family members of the victims and villagers have refused to receive compensation from the state government until the army personnel involved are “brought to justice” and the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is repealed from the Northeastern region.

Of the 14 people killed, 12 belonged to Oting village in Nagaland’s Mon district.

The Oting Village Council said in a statement issued on Sunday, 12 December, that a day after the killings, on 5 December, Rs 18.30 lakh was given by state minister P Paiwang Konyak and the district’s deputy commissioner.

At first, the money was assumed to be a “token of love and gift,” but as they later found out, the money was an installment of the Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia that was to be given to families of each person who was killed.

The statement further stated, “The Oting Village Council and victim families will not receive it until and unless the culprit of 21st Para Commandos of the Indian Armed Force are brought to justice before the Civil code of law and repeal of Armed Force Special Power Act (AFSPA) from the entire North Eastern region,” news agency PTI reported.

The statement, issued on Sunday, was signed by Village Council chairman Longwang Konyak, Angh (‘king’) Tahwang, Deputy Angh Chingwang and Gaon Burahs (village chieftains) of Mongnei and Nyanei.

The Nagaland government had approved payment of Rs 5 lakh each as compensation to the families of the 14 people killed. Those injured were sanctioned Rs 50,000 each.

(With inputs from PTI.)