Kohima: As Nagaland celebrated the Hornbill Festival, Eastern Nagas gathered at the Konyak Morung on Friday for a solemn candlelight memorial, honouring the 14 civilians killed by security forces on December 4 and 5, 2021, in the Oting massacre. The event was organised by the Eastern Naga Students’ Federation (ENSF).
ENSF president Nuheymong Yimkhiung recounted the harrowing incident in which 13 civilians from Oting village were shot dead by the 21 Para Special Forces in Tiru valley, Mon district, on December 4, 2021. Another civilian was killed the next day during a protest in Mon town.
The student leader presented in detail a ground zero report of the incident that took place on December 4, 2021 at Oting Village under Mon District of Nagaland.
Calling the tragedy “a shameful day in the history of Indian intelligence,” Yimkhiung said the massacre raised serious questions about the credibility of the nation’s defense system. He reiterated the federation’s demand for justice and called for the complete repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Nagaland, a state known for its peace-loving citizens.
“We can no longer stand to witness another bloodshed,” he said.
President of the Eastern Naga People’s Union Kohima (ENPUK), Toshi Chang, said the gathering was held to honour the victims for the lives they lived, not only for the tragedy that befell them. He noted that for the families, grief continues in quiet, everyday moments.
Reflecting the Oting massacre, he said the world witnessed how collective grief unified the people of Nagaland. Four years may seem long for some, but memory has no expiry. We remember because the memory lives on, not to hold on to pain, but to affirm that human lives matter and must never be taken for granted, he said.
He urged continued support for the bereaved families.
After a short memorial service, gunshots were fired and a log drum was beaten as a symbolic gesture to pay tribute to the victims of the Oting massacre.
Meanwhile, Konyak civil society organisations observed Black Day in remembrance of the Oting incident at the Konyak Union Office in Mon.
