The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has said that the 6-month extension of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) in various districts and police station jurisdiction across the Naga lands is a blatant affront to the dignity, rights, and democratic aspirations of the Naga people.

Expressing strong condemnation of the extension of the Act, the Federation, in its press release,   stated that it is an “unjust and regressive move that disregards the realities on the ground.” It criticised the Indian government for continuing to “militarize our land and impose colonial-era laws that empower security forces with impunity to commit atrocities without accountability” despite the Naga people’s desire for peace and political resolution.

Reminding of the “untold pain, trauma, and fear in the hearts of countless Naga families” afflicted by the AFSPA, the NSF also stated that the extension is “not only an insult to the ongoing Indo-Naga political dialogue but also a deliberate provocation against the Naga people’s collective call for peace and justice.”

The student body reiterated its demand for the immediate and complete repeal of AFSPA from the Naga homeland and affirmed that “no true peace can prevail where laws of occupation and militarization continue to exist”.

In this regard, the NSF informs all our Federating Units and subordinate bodies to strictly enforce the Federation’s standing policy of total non-cooperation with the Indian armed forces, informed President Medovi Rhi and Assistant General Secretary Kenilo Kent.  The Federation has also urged all Naga student bodies to abstain from participating in any joint programs, civic action initiatives, or ceremonial events involving armed forces personnel until AFSPA is repealed in toto. “Compliance with this policy is not just a protest, but a moral and political obligation to uphold the rights and future of our people,” the NSF added.

Read more: AFSPA extended in Manipur, parts of Nagaland, Arunachal for another 6 months