On 4 and 5 December 2021, 14 lives were lost in Mon district. In the evening of 4 December, 13 civilians were ambushed and gunned down by the 21 Para Commandos in Oting village when the young coal miners were returning home from work. The following day, when a crowd of grieving public gathered in Mon Town to protest the killings, the Assam Rifles opened fire and another young man was shot dead.
In remembrance of the 14 innocent lives lost, the Eastern Nagaland People Organisation (ENPO) and Konyak Union (KU) observed Black Day on 4 and 5 December. The 14 young civilians were active youths in the society, future leaders and hope of the family. They were the bread earners of the household.
In an exclusive interview, Tingthok Konyak, president of Konyak Union, told Nagaland Tribune that Black Day was observed on 5 December 2022 at KU Office in remembrance of the departed souls and the shattered families.
ENPO and KU stand united, he emphasised and pointed out that justice is yet to be delivered. Informing that an SIT report and all crucial evidence were probed from the grassroots level and submitted to the Supreme Court of India, Konyak said: “We are grieved on the delay of justice.”
Despite the delay, Konyak expressed the determination of the ENPO and the KU to not cease demanding for justice. We will fight until justice prevails, he asserted and added “we have not surrendered”.
Konyak said, although the ENPO withdrew Non-cooperation, this was temporary and that they had not surrendered yet.
Konyak said the KU and the ENPO would sit down for a meeting and discuss on the next steps to take effectively in order for justice to prevail. “We have not surrendered yet. We will continue to fight for justice until [it] is delivered.”
He said if the central government and the Supreme Court of India fail to respond to their demand for justice, the ENPO and the KU would take the next crucial steps.
Konyak informed that they had submitted their demands to the GoI last year through the Memorandum, one of which was to remove AFSPA and the Assam Rifles from Konyak area but no action has yet been taken.
He further pointed out that AFSPA was still being exercised in Mon district, even though it has been removed from some districts in Nagaland.
Stating that even the Assam Rifles Camp is “built in private land in our Konyak soil”, he said “we have submitted to the Government of India in our demand to remove it but so far nothing has been done by the Government of India.”
Remembering the incident that took place on 4 and 5 December 2021, Konyak said 14 innocent lives were lost and many civilians left injured. The state government had given 1 lakh each to the injured victims as health compensation, however many of the injured now have disabilities and left helpless with their futures at risk, Konyak shared.
A year ago, the indiscriminate shooting of civilians brought the state to a standstill. Now etched into public memory as one of the worst botched army operations to have taken place in recent times in the state. As justice remains elusive, Konyak is determined and asserted that the KU and ENPO will approach the state and central government to ensure that justice is delivered.
