Kohima: Nagaland marked its 62nd Statehood Day on December 1, 2024, with vibrant celebrations that coincided with the 25th edition of the globally acclaimed Hornbill Festival. While the state basked in the festive spirit, the memory of the December 4, 2021, tragedy that had once shaken Nagaland seemed to fade into the background amidst the fanfare.
This year’s Hornbill Festival attracted 2,05,968 visitors, including 2,527 foreign tourists and 56,217 domestic travellers. While the Kisama Heritage Village, the festival’s main venue, buzzed with joy and celebration, the Konyak Morung stood in sombre silence on the evening of December 4, 2024.
Three years ago, the state government called off the Hornbill Festival mid-way at Kisama Heritage Village to honour the “slain” brothers of Oting village in Mon district, predominantly occupied by the Konyak Nagas. Yet, three years later, only a small group of people, including a few domestic tourists, gathered to remember the 14 innocent civilians killed by security forces in Mon district.
That Night in December
On the fateful evening of December 4, 2021, a pick-up truck carrying eight coal miners returning to Oting village from the Tiru coal mining site in Mon district was ambushed by the 21st Para Special Forces of the Indian Army in “a case of mistaken identity”. Six miners were killed on the spot, while the two survivors escaped with their lives but were left scarred forever.
The situation then tensed as locals from the village rushed to the firing scene and discovered the death of the six miners. A violent confrontation ensued between the locals and security forces, resulting in the deaths of seven more civilians and security personnel. Several other civilians were injured in the incident.
Protests erupted across the district, and on December 5, 2021, another civilian was killed by security personnel in Mon town, raising the death toll to 14. The events of December 4-5, 2021, are considered two of the darkest days in Nagaland’s history and were declared “Black Day” by the Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO), the apex body representing seven Eastern Naga tribes.
In the aftermath of the incident, the ENPO announced its non-cooperation with the Indian security forces until its demands were met and justice was served to the families of the 14 civilians killed on December 4-5. The ENPO called for the security personnel involved in the “gruesome killings” to be charged under relevant laws and tried in a Civil Court.
The ENPO also demanded that the Union Home Minister retract the statement made in the Indian Parliament regarding the incident, and called on the Government of India to revoke the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) of 1958 from all the Northeastern states.
Nagaland was thrown into turmoil as widespread protests erupted in the following months. Mass protests erupted across the state and the North Eastern states, demanding justice for the victims and amplifying the growing call for the repeal of AFSPA.
The situation began to shift after Phangnon Konyak, a BJP leader and native of Oting, was elected as the first Naga woman representative to the Rajya Sabha on March 24, 2022. A month later, on April 29, 2022, the ENPO withdrew its non-cooperation with the security forces following a meeting between the new MP, the Assam Rifles’ Inspector General, and officials from the ENPO and the Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation.
While political developments were unfolding, the legal system was also progressing on its path. The Nagaland police booked 30 army personnel based on the findings of the special investigation team formed to probe the Oting killings by June 2022. However, in July, the Supreme Court stayed the proceedings following a plea filed by a spouse of one of the army officers charge-sheeted by the Nagaland Police.
Amid the legal battle, the ENPO’s demand for a separate state intensified. In 2022, the body announced a decision to boycott the 2023 state elections till their demands were addressed. However, the boycott was called off after the Centre provided “assurances” to establish a “Frontier Naga Territory” (an autonomous body), to be implemented after the elections.
As their aspirations persisted, the ENPO boycotted the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, making their demand for a separate territory clear.
2024: A widening divide
In September of this year, the apex court put an end to the criminal proceedings against army personnel involved in the December 2021 killings in Nagaland’s Mon district. The Bench ruled that while criminal proceedings were concluded, the army retained the authority to take disciplinary actions against the personnel involved.
The Isak-Muivah-led National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM), Global Naga Forum (GNF), Naga Mothers Association and the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) were among a few Naga organisations to resent the SC ruling.
The Naga mothers called for the intervention of the Governor of Nagaland to ensure that the Central Government grants sanction for prosecution and that the State Government files a review petition for the case. They also urged the state government and the Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), who hails from Oting, to unite in demanding justice for the victims of Oting and their families.
When December 4, 2024, approached, the MP took to X saying, “Stronger laws, Faster action, Safer streets. It’s a new era for #NariShakti “Ab mahilao ke khilaf jurm nahi chalega!” – PM @narendramodi.”
There was no mention of Oting.
While X and other social media platforms have become popular means of communication for political leaders to share their work and connect with the public, a look at the social media handles of the minister representing Oting village revealed a silence on the issue.
However, various Konyak bodies conducted prayer services across the state on December 4 and 5 to remember the tragedy. At Oting village, a prayer memorial was held on the 4th of December.
Speaking to EastMojo, Keapwang Konyak, former president of the Oting Students’ Union said, “With all the festivities, people are forgetting about the incident because it’s not their pain, it did not happen in their homes.”
He revealed that in October 2024, the Oting Village Council had submitted a representation to the Konyak Union, the apex body of the Konyak tribe, requesting employment assistance for those who survived the tragedy.
The council listed 16 individuals who were injured, of which seven are now “partially disabled” and unable to perform normal daily tasks. Four individuals, including the two miners who survived the ambush, have been rendered “totally disabled”, and the rest suffered minor injuries.
“The injured victims have only received an ex-gratia payment of Rs 50,000 each from the Government of Nagaland, regardless of the severity of their injuries. This financial assistance is grossly inadequate considering the extent of the physical, emotional, and economic hardships that the victims and their families have had to endure. Many of the injured cannot return to their previous work, thus facing significant challenges in supporting themselves and their families,” the council wrote.
The state government provided an ex-gratia of Rs 5,00,000 for each deceased victim, while the central government extended Rs 11,00,000 per victim. The next of kin of the deceased were offered employment in various government departments, including Soil, Agriculture, Education, Law and Justice, Nagaland Police, and the office of the district administration, serving in different capacities.
Keapwang emphasised that while justice seems distant, ensuring proper care for the victims who survived, particularly those rendered disabled, would provide some relief to the affected families and the local community.
He shared that through local contributions, a concrete hall was also built to shelter the vehicle in which innocent lives were lost. However, he added that the community hopes to establish a Genocide Park with a memorial stone at the site of the incident to honour the memory of the deceased, but, the lack of financial support has stalled the plan.
Keapwang revealed that during a prayer memorial observation organised by the Konyak Union in Mon town on December 5, he had proposed a uniform Black Day observance. He suggested that it be commemorated on a single designated day each year and observed on a larger scale, with the shutting down of public and private establishments, not just in Mon district but across all ENPO areas.
Putting up the aspirations, he urged the Konyak civil societies to help the Oting residents pursue their aspirations.
The Oting tragedy stands as a stark reminder of the challenges of achieving justice under laws like AFSPA. While the state’s flagship event- the Hornbill Festival, continues to draw global acclaim, Oting’s story fades into the shadows.
This story has been published as part of the AIPP-EastMojo Fellowship 2024
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