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'It is in the interest of China and Pakistan to give a bad name to the Indian Army and remove AFSPA 'completely' from the north east.'
'Hopefully, better sense will prevail and the ground realities of the army countering insurgency in the north east acknowledged,' asserts Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
The notice issued to the Union government by the Supreme Court on July 15, 2024 on a writ petition filed by the state of Nagaland seeking sanction to prosecute 30 personnel of the Indian Army who are accused of killing 13 civilians during a military operation in Nagaland's Mon district in December 2021 is headline news.
Arguments in court would likely centre on whether the accused are guilty or not; but without going into the real motive behind the writ petition.
Decisions generally depend on evidence presented and as argued by lawyers; where anything is possible given that the accused in the Nithari killings who allegedly kidnapped, abused, killed, cooked and ate children walked free.
Following the military operation in December 2021, Union Home Minister Amit A Shah made a statement in Parliament, the highlights of which are: Based on inputs provided about insurgent movement, 21 PARA (special forces) laid an ambush near Tiru village (Mon district) on December 4, 2021; one vehicle that sped through the ambush despite challenged to stop was fired upon killing six of eight occupants -- the army evacuated the two injured to medical facilities; villagers then surrounded the site, burnt two vehicles, and assaulted the special forces, killing one and injuring several others; The special forces opened fire to disperse the mob resulting in the killing of seven civilians and injuring some others; an FIR was registered at the Tizit police station' the case has been transferred to the state crime police station and a SIT constituted.
Amit Shah's statement also covered the following: An approximate 250-strong crowd attacked the Company Operating Base (CoB) of the Assam Rifles in Mon town on December 5, burning the CoB building, forcing troops to open fire, killing one civilian and injuring another; The army's HQ 3 Corps deeply regretted the incident saying the cause is being investigated at the highest level and appropriate action will be taken as per law; the home minister took immediate measures as required; government is maintaining close watch, the unfortunate incident is sincerely regretted and expresses deepest condolences to affected families.
According to the media, the FIR alleged the army 'blankly opened fire' killing many villagers with the 'intention' to 'murder and injure civilians'.
Rovilatuo Mor, IAS, Commissioner, Nagaland and T John Longkurmer, IPS, DG Police, Nagaland, in a signed statement on December 5, 2021, accused the army of killing unarmed civilians at random and indiscriminate firing before fleeing from the scene, adding that two of the seriously injured civilians were taken by the army and admitted to the ICU at Dibrugarh hospital.
The statement also said on December 5, 600 to 700 people armed with sticks, pipes, flammable fluids and a few with machetes or daos (dahs) went to the Assam Rifles camp.
After almost an hour into the melee, the second round of continuous firing by the Assam Rifles resulted in one civilian killed and six wounded.
It is relevant to note that the special forces team laid the ambush on specific inputs from sources including local police.
The ambush area was covered under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) and seeing a vehicle deliberately speeding away despite being asked to stop was fired upon.
The special forces were in the process of evacuating two injured civilians when a mob of 'armed' villagers from Oting Village attacked them, shot one special forces commando and slashed his neck with a dah killing him on the spot, and wounding 14 commandos including an officer.
The special forces were forced to open fire in self-defence and move out although it had enough ammunition to kill the entire armed mob.
Was the special forces team brought from outside Nagaland by deliberately providing false intelligence inputs to stage-manage the entire incident?
After the firing incident at the ambush site on December 4, why were prohibitory orders not issued to prevent an armed mob attack the on December 5?
Should Commissioner Rovilatuo Mor and DGP T John Longkumer not be charged for not clamping Section 144 in Mon town to prevent the attack on the Assam Rifles Company Operating Base on December 5?
Insurgents in Nagaland (external link) continue to illegally collect revenue to the tune of more than Rs 10,000 crore (Rs 100 billion) annually.
There have been instances of political pressure to free captured insurgents in Nagaland.
The Indian Army and AFSPA are a hindrance for the mafia in channelising huge amounts of money accruing from drugs and illegal tax collection for individual and political benefits.
Despite the media blitz about a peace deal with Naga insurgents, which anyway does not cover all Naga insurgent parties, the peace deal with even the NSCN (IM) has not been completed, even though only the issue of a separate flag remains according to the media.
Therefore, political appeasement of the insurgents is essential for support in elections.
Considering all this, it is quite possible this was a pre-planned 'False Flag' operation; the so-called specific intelligence of insurgent movement a ruse to kick-start the plan to remove the army from Nagaland altogether.
The alacrity with which the armed mob surrounded and attacked the special forces team gives credence to this.
Moreover, the police could have easily identified the mobsters that attacked the special forces team, as well as the 600-700 strong mob that attacked the Assam Rifles next evening, which they did not.
The latter attack was witnessed by the local police who would have easily recognised the ringleaders but no one was specifically charged.
The Naga insurgency has been supported and armed by China for decades.
Most of the Naga insurgents (less the ones that signed a peace deal) are in Myanmar and Chinese intelligence would be in contact with them.
It is in the interest of China and Pakistan to give a bad name to the Indian Army and remove AFSPA 'completely' from the north east.
Hopefully, better sense will prevail and the ground realities of the army countering insurgency in the north east acknowledged.
The absence of rule of law, killings, arson and violence in the Imphal Valley over the past two years plus post removal of AFSPA is there for all to see.
Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd), PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, SC is a former Special Forces officer.
He is a third generation army officer and participated in the 1971 India-Pakistan War and in Operation Bluestar.
He commanded a Special Forces Battalion in Sri Lanka, a Brigade on the Siachen Glacier, a Division in Ladakh and a Strike Corps in the South Western Theatre.
Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com