As many as 13 people most of them workers from Konyak tribe including a soldier died in the firing incident allegedly involving the security forces at Oting in Mon district of Nagaland on December 4, revealed reports from Nagaland. Konyak Tribe announced boycott of Hornbill festival of Nagaland after the incident.
The Neiphiu Rio government of Nagaland has constituted the SIT to probe the incident. The injured including the personnel of security forces are under treatment in Nagaland hospitals, revealed the reports today.
The incident took place a time when the 10-day long Nagaland’s popular Hornbill festival is in full swing at Kisama heritage village in which large number of Naga tribes including tourists are participating after the corona pandemic had hit the festivities last year.
The festival organizers observed two minutes silence for peace for the departed innocent souls at all Morungs, all locations of Naga heritage village and at all venues of Hornbill events in Nagaland in honour of the dead and appealed for peace and calm in the state over the tragic incident.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted expressing his anguish over the Oting incident saying, “I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the incident”. “A high level Special Investigating Team (SIT) constituted by the state government will thoroughly probe this incident to ensure justice to the bereaved families”, he said.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio has condemned the Oting incident saying that the culprits would be brough to justice for killing the innocent civilians and condoled the deaths of the family members. He has appealed to all section for maintain peace.
Showing blacks flags, president of Konyak Union Kohima (KUK) H Angnyei Konyak and its general secretary W Chatyam Konyak in a signed letter, which is with Himbumail Service addressed to the nodal officer of 22nd Hornbill festival stated that KUK would abstain from further participation in the festival, citing atrocities perpetrated by the security forces at Oting village in Mon district on December 4.
KUK closed down the Konyak Morung from December 5 in solidarity with the innocent killings allegedly by the security forces on December 4. They also demanded revocation of the Armed Forces Special Power Act(AFSPA).
Soon after the incident, the headquaters 3 corps of the security forces at Kohima stated in a media statement stating, “based on credible intelligence of likely movement of insurgents, a specific operation was planned to be conducted into the area of Tiru in Mon district in Nagaland. The incident and its aftermath is deeply regrated. The cause of unfortunate loss of life is being investigated at the highest level and appropriate action will be taken as per the course of law. Security forces have suffered severe injuries in the incident in which one soldier succumbed to injuries”.
According to the Nagaland press, the firing incident took place at Oting in Mon district of Nagaland, when vehicle carrying the people was ambushed allegedly by the security forces on December 4.
