<p>Hinting that killing of 14 civilians by the army at Oting village in Nagaland's Mon district could impact the ongoing talks with the Centre, NSCN (IM), the biggest Naga insurgent group in a ceasefire on Wednesday said the incident has become a "threat" to Nagas' longing for a political solution to the decades-old conflict. </p>.<p>Expressing anger over the killings and the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, the outfit said "blood and political talks can not go together" and no political talks would be meaningful "under the shadow of AFSPA." </p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/nagaland-firing-oting-villagers-claim-army-tried-to-pass-dead-off-as-militants-1058870.html" target="_blank">Nagaland Firing: Oting villagers claim Army tried to pass dead off as militants</a></strong></p>.<p>Reacting strongly to home minister Amit Shah's statement in the Parliament on Monday that security forces opened fire after the vehicle in which the civilians were travelling did not stop, NSCN-IM said Shah's statement poured fuel to the burning issue.</p>.<p>"In a situation like this, Amit Shah was expected to show political maturity and practical statesmanship in order to cool down the socio-political upheavals. Ironically, he poured fuel to the burning issue by standing behind the Para Commandos under his command with his fictional sleuth stories for their heinous act of killings. This is like rubbing salt and chilli in the wounds of the Nagas. Truth be told that there was no signal to stop the pick-up van of the coal labourers as mentioned by Amit Shah in Parliament," the NSCN-IM said in a statement on Wednesday evening.</p>.<p>The NSCN-IM, which claims that Nagas were never part of India, is in ceasefire with the Centre since 1997 and signed a "framework agreement" in August 2015. The outfit was supposed to sign a final agreement to end the decades-long insurgency. But the outfit's insistence on its "core demand" for a separate flag and Constitution for the Nagas has become a stumbling block.</p>.<p>When many in Nagaland were trying to find a solution towards signing a "comprehensive" final agreement, the killing of 14 civilians in Mon district raised doubt over the ongoing negotiation.</p>.<p>Slamming Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), the NSCN-IM said, "This notorious AFSPA has given the Indian security forces the license to shoot and kill anyone on mere suspicion. We Nagas have endured the insults heaped on our human dignity for too long. The Nagas have had the bitter taste of this act on numerous occasions and it has spilled enough blood. Blood and political talks cannot go together. The Nagas can no longer be made the laughing stock in the eyes of the world. No political talks will be meaningful under the shadow of AFSPA. Let human dignity take control and be made an integral part of the Naga political peace process," it said.</p>.<p>The NSCN-IM also challenged Shah's statement that security forces had intelligence input about the movement of insurgents. "There is nothing to doubt that it was a botched ambush with a deliberate mission to kill and nothing to do with ‘credible’ intelligence of NSCN movement in the area. Nothing can be far from the truth that it was something executed deliberately." </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
<p>Hinting that killing of 14 civilians by the army at Oting village in Nagaland's Mon district could impact the ongoing talks with the Centre, NSCN (IM), the biggest Naga insurgent group in a ceasefire on Wednesday said the incident has become a "threat" to Nagas' longing for a political solution to the decades-old conflict. </p>.<p>Expressing anger over the killings and the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, the outfit said "blood and political talks can not go together" and no political talks would be meaningful "under the shadow of AFSPA." </p>.<p><strong>Also Read — <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/national/east-and-northeast/nagaland-firing-oting-villagers-claim-army-tried-to-pass-dead-off-as-militants-1058870.html" target="_blank">Nagaland Firing: Oting villagers claim Army tried to pass dead off as militants</a></strong></p>.<p>Reacting strongly to home minister Amit Shah's statement in the Parliament on Monday that security forces opened fire after the vehicle in which the civilians were travelling did not stop, NSCN-IM said Shah's statement poured fuel to the burning issue.</p>.<p>"In a situation like this, Amit Shah was expected to show political maturity and practical statesmanship in order to cool down the socio-political upheavals. Ironically, he poured fuel to the burning issue by standing behind the Para Commandos under his command with his fictional sleuth stories for their heinous act of killings. This is like rubbing salt and chilli in the wounds of the Nagas. Truth be told that there was no signal to stop the pick-up van of the coal labourers as mentioned by Amit Shah in Parliament," the NSCN-IM said in a statement on Wednesday evening.</p>.<p>The NSCN-IM, which claims that Nagas were never part of India, is in ceasefire with the Centre since 1997 and signed a "framework agreement" in August 2015. The outfit was supposed to sign a final agreement to end the decades-long insurgency. But the outfit's insistence on its "core demand" for a separate flag and Constitution for the Nagas has become a stumbling block.</p>.<p>When many in Nagaland were trying to find a solution towards signing a "comprehensive" final agreement, the killing of 14 civilians in Mon district raised doubt over the ongoing negotiation.</p>.<p>Slamming Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), the NSCN-IM said, "This notorious AFSPA has given the Indian security forces the license to shoot and kill anyone on mere suspicion. We Nagas have endured the insults heaped on our human dignity for too long. The Nagas have had the bitter taste of this act on numerous occasions and it has spilled enough blood. Blood and political talks cannot go together. The Nagas can no longer be made the laughing stock in the eyes of the world. No political talks will be meaningful under the shadow of AFSPA. Let human dignity take control and be made an integral part of the Naga political peace process," it said.</p>.<p>The NSCN-IM also challenged Shah's statement that security forces had intelligence input about the movement of insurgents. "There is nothing to doubt that it was a botched ambush with a deliberate mission to kill and nothing to do with ‘credible’ intelligence of NSCN movement in the area. Nothing can be far from the truth that it was something executed deliberately." </p>.<p><strong>Watch the latest videos by DH here:</strong></p>
