In light of the Supreme Court of India closing the criminal proceedings against the accused personnel of 21 Para (SF) involved in the killing of 14 civilians at Oting Village, Mon district. on 4th December 2024, the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has submitted a representation to the Union Home Minister.

In its letter, the Federation has made three demands which included:

– The prosecution sanction against the accused personnel of the 21 Para (SF) involved in the Oting massacre.

– Full accountability and transparency from the Union Government regarding the botched intelligence operation.

– The immediate revocation of AFSPA from the Naga homeland and the Northeast.

Stating that the Court’s judgement made on 17th September 2024 “further compounds the gross injustice the Naga people have endured”, the student body has said that it is “appalled by the Government of India’s consistent refusal to grant prosecution sanction against the guilty personnel” despite the chargesheet filed by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Nagaland Government against 30 members of the 21 Para (SF). It stated that the charges were based on irrefutable evidence and questioned the Union Home Minister, “What is the Government of India trying to hide? Why is justice being withheld despite the gravity of the crime?”. By denying prosecution sanction, the government appears to be protecting the guilty rather than upholding the rule of law, the NSF added.

“The Oting incident is not merely an isolated act of violence but a reflection of systemic injustice that has persisted under the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958,” the Federation maintained while citing the Oting incident as a “glaring example of how AFSPA is used to shield perpetrators of violence against innocent civilians, deepening the wounds of conflict and alienation.”

Condemning the intelligence that led to the “botched operation” that cost precious lives, the NSF also pressed that the intelligence failure must be thoroughly investigated, and those responsible must be held accountable.

Further, the Federation said that if its demands are not granted, it would resort to democratic agitations to fight for the justice that has been denied to the victims and their families and urged the Government of India to stand on the side of justice and accountability.