The Centre has decided to institute a five-member committee to look into the withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Nagaland, chief minister Neiphiu Rio said on Sunday, weeks after 13 civilians were killed by the army at Oting in the state’s Mon district.
According to news agency PTI, Vivek Joshi, who is Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India, will head the five-member committee while Additional Secretary in the Union Home Ministry Piyush Goyal will be the member secretary of the panel.
Other members of the committee are chief secretary and DGP of Nagaland, inspector general of Assam Rifles (North) and a representative of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), PTI quoted a government official as saying.
Indian Army personnel opened fire at a truck carrying local coal miners to Oting village from Tiru on December 13. The soldiers of the 21 Para Special Forces appeared to have mistaken the civilians for militants.
A jawan was killed in retaliation by civilians on the same day.
On Sunday, a joint statement from deputy chief minister Y Patton and leader of Naga Peoples’ Front Legislature Party TR Zeliang said that the panel has been directed to submit its recommendations within 45 days.
“The committee will submit its report within 45 days and withdrawal of Disturbed Area and AFSPA from Nagaland will be based on recommendations of the committee,” the statement said.
A court of inquiry will take action against the army personnel “directly involved” in the Oting incident and action will be taken immediately “on the basis of fair inquiry”, the statement said.
“A court of inquiry will initiate disciplinary proceedings against the army unit and personnel who were involved in the Oting incident, and action will be taken against on the basis of a fair probe. The identified persons facing the investigation will be placed under suspension with immediate effect,” the statement said.
The Nagaland government will provide jobs to the next of the kin of the deceased, it said.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of Union home minister Amit Shah and Rio, along with Patton and Zeliang on December 23.
The meeting was also attended by North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
On December 20, the Nagaland assembly adopted a five-point resolution denouncing the killings in Mon and demanded the repeal of Afspa from the region.
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, is in force in Nagaland, Manipur, Assam, parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir. It allows security forces to open fire on any person on suspicion, and arrest individuals and search premises without warrants, in designated disturbed areas.
Thanking Shah “for taking up the matter with utmost seriousness”, Rio on Sunday urged “all sections to continue to maintain a peaceful atmosphere.”
During the recently concluded winter session of Parliament, Shah expressed regret over the killings and said that a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the “unfortunate incident” will complete its investigation within a month. He also said the firing was a consequence of “mistaken identity”.
