Dimapur: Organisations both underground and social in Nagaland have been irked by the extension of the Disturbed Area Act for another one year from July 22.
Among the notable condemnations, the one issued by the Naga National Council (NNC) has more pungent effect. The NNC said the Disturbed Area Act imposed on the Nagas in particular and the north-east people by the ‘occupational’ government of India at peace time between the Naga people and India is uncalled for.
“This is something extreme at this stage to oppress and suppress the people again and again by the Delhi Government when there is indefinite cease-fire and extended ceasefire in the Naga homeland with both the NSCNs,” the NNC reasons, adding, “being the parent organisation of the Nagas, NNC always maintained the path of non-violence”.
Few days back, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had responded to the many observations being issued in the local press with regard to the extension of the declaration of Nagaland State as Disturbed Area under the Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958 (AFSPA), while stating that a clarification had become necessary to clear the ‘many wrong reports and misconception on this issue which has led to much political mud slinging, especially by the Congress Party in Nagaland’.
Rio had reminded that, in the first place, the Armed Forces Special Power Act was enacted in 1958 essentially to facilitate the Indian Army in fighting armed insurgency movement in the North-East, adding that at that point of time, the only notable armed insurgency movement in the NE region was Naga Insurgency, which is often referred to as the ‘mother of all insurgencies in the North-East’. Therefore, he said it can safely be said that the immediate motive of the Government of India in bringing out the AFSP Act, 1958, was essentially to deal with Naga armed insurgency whose avowed objectives were sovereignty and secession from India.
He had also pointed out that Section 3 of the AFSPA empowers the Central Government to declare any area within the State or Union Territory to which the Act applies as Disturbed Area by a notification in Official Gazette and only after such declaration, the special powers conferred on the Armed Forces under AFSPA can be exercised.
Rio further pointed out that the declaration of all or part of Naga inhabited areas of Assam and Manipur as disturbed area under the AFSPA had always been in operation ever since 1958, even before Nagaland State was born. It was always there even during the regime of Congress Ministry in Nagaland, he added.
Stating that, sometimes in the past, the disturbed area was declared covering only a 5, 10 or 20 km belt along the State’s border, he, however, clarified that the declaration of the disturbed area act throughout the State has been in existence ‘for quite sometime now’, while opining that this was perhaps due to the presence of armed Naga nationalists all over the State.
Stating that the latest declaration has been made by the Central Government, extending the period for 1 (one) year beyond June 30 2011, the Chief Minister urged that ‘this issue not be used anymore for political mud slinging and false accusations by anyone without properly understanding the history and underlying motive of the Government of India in declaring Nagaland as a disturbed area under the AFSP Act’. (NNN)