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Whereas the 2021 Hornbill Festival was abandoned midway because 14 innocent Naga civilians were massacred by the Indian Army’s Special Forces in Oting and Mon, Nagaland, leaving dozens more maimed and injured while the festival was in progress:
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Whereas 30 Indian army personnel were identified as responsible for the massacre by the state police Special Investigation Team, but to date, even after two years, the Indian government has blocked criminal proceedings against the perpetrators of the crimes and the murder victims are still denied justice:
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Whereas the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA, 1958), which enabled the Indian Army to massacre the 14 innocent Naga civilians, is still in force in Nagaland:
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Now, in 2023: Two years to the month of the Oting & Mon massacre, the Indian Army raises a Naga Morung in the Naga Heritage Village “to pay tribute to the valiant soldiers” and “showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Nagaland.” Where, among other dignitaries, the Inspector General of the Assam Rifles (AR) is featured as a Special Guest at the Miss Hornbill International event, AR, a force with a long, notorious history of committing atrocities against the Naga people, including raping and abusing women.
This is the current scene in the unending drama of India’s grim gift of democracy and modernity to the Naga indigenous people who still live separated in four Indian states and in Myanmar.
Global Naga Forum (GNF), December 4, 2023.
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