Nagaland killings: Soldiers hid in jungle, fired at villagers who tried to retrieve bodies, claim eyewitness
- Mahmodul Hassan
- Dec 16, 2021
- 1 min read
"Did they kill my son to give Rs 5 lakhs? Money cannot buy the value of life," said the father of Ngampho Konyak killed by armed forces in Nagaland earlier this month. Ngampho's 105-year-old grandmother laments, "I crawl down to see his grave. Don't mind preparing a place for me in heaven" as she continues to chant his name, "Ngampho…Ngampho" while remembering her grandson.
Ngampho (32) was among 13 civilians who were killed in the firing by armed forces on December 4 evening in Oting village in Nagaland. The Security forces were running an operation against the Yung Aung faction of the outlawed National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), when they ambushed the pick-up truck ferrying daily-wage coal miners, killing six on the spot.
The other seven civilians and a soldier were killed following the second incident of firing by armed forces at the civilian the same evening. The victim's family members told News9 that Ngampho was killed in the second incident of firing as he went to the spot along with other villagers searching for the miners.
Right from the day of the incident, Nagaland has been witnessing continuous agitation against the killing of innocent civilians by armed forces. Moreover, scores of organisations, activists, and politicians -- including the chief ministers of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio and Meghalaya, Conrad Sangma -- spoke against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, while many are demanding repeal of the law.
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