The North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) has expressed dissatisfaction with the recent ruling by the Supreme Court of India regarding the Oting massacre.
The tragic incident, which occurred on December 4, 2021, in Mon district of Nagaland, saw the brutal killing of 14 innocent civilians by personnel of the 21 Para (SF), a unit of the Indian Army. “Despite overwhelming evidence unearthed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT), the Supreme Court, on September 17, 2024, reportedly closed criminal proceedings against the accused military personnel. This decision is an outright denial of justice to the victims and their families, who have been waiting for accountability,” stated the NESO in a press release issued today.
The NESO is a conglomeration of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Garo Students’ Union (GSU), Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP), Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) and Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), representing the collective voice of the students of the North East.
The SIT, formed by the Government of Nagaland, conducted a thorough investigation, which showed overwhelming evidence that implicated 30 personnel of the 21 Para (SF), including senior officers, in the Oting killings. The charge sheet was submitted to the District and Sessions Court”of Mon, yet the Union Government refused to sanction their prosecution. This lack of accountability, according to the NESO, undermines the legal process and mocks the rule of law, particularly in the sensitive region of the North East, where historical injustices have left deep scars.
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“The Supreme Court’s ruling only compounds the sense of alienation felt by the people of the North East, especially as the court itself acknowledged that the case could proceed if the Union Government grants prosecution sanction. This bureaucratic impasse sends a dangerous signal—that the lives of civilians, especially those from the marginalized and often overlooked North East, are dispensable under the draconian cover of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA),” expressed the Organisation.
The repeal of AFSPA has been demanded by the NESO and its constituent units for a long time, where the organisation has highlighted concerns of violence, impunity, and gross human rights violations across the North East. “The Oting massacre is yet another tragic reminder of how AFSPA enables such heinous acts to occur with little to no accountability,” stated NESO.
The Organisation demanded that the Union Government immediately sanction the prosecution of the 21 Para (SF) personnel involved in the Oting massacre and deliver justice to the victims and their families. It also reiterated its long-standing demand for the complete repeal of AFSPA in the North East, a law that has no place in a democracy. “Failure to do so will only deepen the cycle of mistrust and violence in the region,” stated NESO.
