IS AFSPA VALID- CASE OF NAGALAND INCIDENT ? [GS – PAPER II, III]

08 Dec IS AFSPA VALID- CASE OF NAGALAND INCIDENT ? [GS – PAPER II, III]

IS AFSPA VALID- CASE OF NAGALAND INCIDENT ? Today Current Affairs

CONTEXT : The SHOCKING killings of 6 coal miners and the deaths of 9 civilians and 1 soldier in the wake of the incident in Mon district, Nagaland.

Tensions are going on in the north-eastern state of Nagaland, in India following the killing of 14 civilians by Indian soldiers.

Armed Forces Special Powers Act -1958, (AFSPA), is an act of the Parliament of India which grants special powers to the Indian Armed Forces to maintain the public law and order in the disturbed areas.

DEVELOPMENTS-

• Internet services have been shut down by the Authorities and curfew has been imposed to crush mass protests.

• Violence started (on 4 December 2021,Saturday) when by mistake, an army patrol, in Mon district, held a group of labourers as militants and opened fire and killed approx six of them.

• Though the army have named it a “case of mistaken identity” but the locals have vehemently opposed this claim.

• The mismanaged Army operation in Nagaland is yet another reminder of the reason why AFSPA should go.

Even after the rationale has been provided by the Union Government and the armed forces for the killings of 6 coal miners and the deaths of 9 civilians and 1 soldier, the residents of Nagaland, and indeed many in North-east India, will only take this incident as an outcome of impunity as per the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, or AFSPA.

Undoubtedly, the 2 Chief Ministers — Conrad Sangma of Meghalaya and Neiphiu Rio of Nagaland — have immediately demanded the repeal of AFSPA; the Act still remains intact in Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, and 3 districts of Arunachal Pradesh, and areas falling within the jurisdiction of 8 police stations of the State bordering Assam, with the authority to use force or open fire to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”. 

The soldiers of the 21 Para Commando Unit fired at them, and attributed it to a case of mistaken identity. The Hindu Analysis.

This action should be also be considered as problematic even in the garb of AFSPA, as atleast there should have been the warnings, given to them before opening fire. 

That an ambush was purportedly laid on insurgents of the NSCN (Khaplang-Yung Aung) faction following an intelligence input and yet a civilian vehicle which offered no hostility was fired upon, donot suggest the positive developments.

The Government has promised an inquiry by a Special Investigation Team. The Hindu Analysis.

 Unfortunately, the incident could put an obstruction in the Naga peace talks between the Government and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM) and 7 Naga National Political Groups for a solution. 

 An approach that shows genuine repentance for the actions, brings the culprits to book and seeks conciliation with the Konyak Nagas through compensation for the violence, besides a renewed purpose to conclude the peace talks with the Naga groups, is now the only crucial development.

In this article we mention all important thing about IS AFSPA VALID- CASE OF NAGALAND INCIDENT ? Today Current Affairs.

Download plutus ias daily current affairs 8 December 2021