Kohima, Dec 18: A massive protest rally was organised by the influential Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) in Nagaland’s capital city Kohima on Friday demanding repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Power) Act, 1958 or AFSPA and justice for the killing of 14 people and injuring 30 others by the security forces “due to mistaken identity” on December 4.

The NSF, in a memorandum to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanded to constitute a court monitored committee headed by a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge to ensure free and fair probe in an impartial manner.

“The Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by the Nagaland government to probe the December 4 incident would not do justice to the wilful acts of the Indian armed forces under the protection of the repressive AFSPA,” the memorandum said.

Thousands of men and women protesters took part in the massive protest rally displaying banners and placards that read “how many times bullets be fired before repealing AFSPA”, “AFSPA rears devil in the Indian armies” and “ban AFSPA, not our voice”.Protests and various events have been held in different parts of Nagaland since the December 4, 2021 firing by the security forces, with the biggest protest rally, thus far, held in Kohima on Friday.Various Naga civil society organisations including Konyak Union and the Eastern Nagaland Peoples’ Organisation (ENPO) have been spearheading the agitations and the NSF took the lead role in the Friday’s protest rally.

Demanding immediate arrest of the soldiers involved in the December 4 firing, the protestors also demanded to withdraw the Home Minister Amit Shah’s “false and fabricated” statement given in the Parliament on December 6.Shah in his statements on December 6 in both houses of Parliament had said that during the ambush laid on the spot in the Mon district in Nagaland, a vehicle reached near the barricade and the Army soldiers tried to stop the vehicle, but it did not stop.

“On suspicion of the vehicle having insurgents, the vehicle was attacked in which six out of eight people were killed and several were injured,” the Home Minister had said.

The NSF in its memorandum to the Prime Minister demanded repeal of the AFSPA, justice to the victims and arrest of the Jawans who are involved in the firing.

Detailing the incidents of “killing and torture by the security forces since 1960,” the memorandum said that the “government of India continued to suppress the legitimate people’s movement through military means even after having realized that the same would not reap in the desired dividends”.

“Some Indian leaders coming out publicly to defend the atrocious acts and thereby legitimizing the murders, tortures, rapes, molestations upon the innocent Naga civilians and botched Army operations has been deeply hurting the sentiments of the Naga people while also flaring up our emotions,” the 6-page memorandum said.

Konyak civil society organisations earlier announced total non-cooperation to the armed forces and imposing restrictions on their movements in the Konyak dominated areas. They also said that no ex-gratia or compensation from the government would be accepted until justice was delivered to all the 14 victims.

Meanwhile, the business advisory committee of the Assembly on Friday finalised the schedule of the special session of the Assembly on December 20 to discuss and pass a resolution for repealing of the AFSPA.