Guwahati: The Yung Aung-led rebel outfit, National Socialist Council of Nagalim-Khaplang faction (NSCN-K), has extended it support to the mass agitation against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the northeast.
The banned rebel group said the bill would legalise and escalate the influx of illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries and dramatically change the demography of the region.
Talking to News18 from an undisclosed location, self-styled lieutenant colonel Joseph Lamkam of the NSCN-K said, “As much as we opposed India’s hegemony over the Naga country, we opposed all its policies and laws imposed on our people. Some of our elected Naga politicians has blindly supported the Bill without even consulting the people they represent. They are exposing their political immaturity and shortsightedness. They had lost their credibility as elected leaders by trusting too much in the Narendra Modi government. They owe an explanation to the Naga people for their decisions.”
“The NSCN, being the legitimate torch-bearer of the Naga struggle will go any length to defend our right, our land and our people, and to implement that, the Naga army and its combat units are duty-bound and capable of striking anywhere and anytime,” Lamkam said.
“The Indian government's policy is to subjugate the northeast region and wipe out our joint freedom struggle. Unless we are completely sovereign, we will cease to exist as people. The present laws will not protect our land, our identity and right to live as free and honourable people.”
Lamkam also appreciated the stand of Nagas and other people of the region to come together and denounce the citizenship Act. “This Bill was specially amended to sideline and target individuals based on religious grounds which implies that Indian secularism is slowly dying,” he added.
Thousands of people across the northeast are taking out mostly non-violent protests against the CAA and have vowed to continue with their efforts till the Act is withdrawn.
The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Wednesday directed the state government to constitute a high-level inquiry into the incidents of deaths and injuries during the ongoing protests across the state against the CAA and furnish a detailed report within a month.
“Suo-motu cognisance of the case has been taken in view of the news items published in both English and vernacular dailies published from December 13 to December 16, informing about the death of five protesters in police firing and baton charge by security forces and injuries to 27 protesters in the protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB),” the commission wrote in its notice.
It also mentioned reports of two youths, Dipanjal Das and Sam Stefford, being killed at Lachit Nagar and Hatigaon in police firing, even though no weapon was found in their possession.
“Two more protesters, Iswar Nayak of Udalguri and Abdul Alim of Lalung Gaon, Guwahati, were injured in alleged police firing at Udalguri and Lalung Gaon, respectively, on December 12 during a protest and succumbed to their injuries at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati,” the order said.
Till December 19, 358 people were arrested and 3,021 others detained in connection with the protest across the state.
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