Watch: ‘Dil Mein Ho Sada’, a Song in Honour of the Oting Firing Victims

Several Naga organisations including NSF and ENPO are organising memorial service, flying organisation’s flag half-mast and observing Dec 4-5 as Black Days

Reported by Sarah Nam Konyak

A year of the tragic Mon firing incident in Nagaland which claimed the lives of 14 civilians. The memories of the fateful day are still fresh in the minds of many and people still mourn the loss of their loved ones.

The incident took place between Oting and Tiru villages in Nagaland’s Mon district on this day last year as a counter-insurgency operation went awry.

As a tribute to the victims of the Mon firing incident, a song ‘Dil Mein Ho Sada’ has been released.

The song’s lyrics has been written by Hentick Konyak, music composed by Akun Wanghum and the song has been produced, mixed, and mastered by Wangching Vamnokhu.

Mendan Konyak directed the video that features Prashant Tamang, a singer and film actor based in Kathmandu who was also the winner of Indian Idol Season 3 in 2007.

“The year has passed, the season comes and goes, the valley and the landscape are still the same. The echoing of your voice and your smile are being missed. We miss you brothers, you are forever in our hearts,” the song makers wrote as a tribute.

Several organisations like the Naga Students Federation, All Nagaland College Students’ Union, All Sumi Students’ Union (SKK), Ao Students’ Conference (AKM) and Eastern Nagaland People’s Organisation (ENPO) have paid tributes to the departed and demanded justice for the killings by the Indian Army.

While the ENPO is observing today and tomorrow as Black Days, NSF along with members of All Nagaland College Students’ Union, SKK and AKM held a solemn ceremony to pay homage to the departed.

NSF is flying its flag at half-mast. It has also hoisted a black flag alongside its organisation’s flag signifying non-cooperation towards the security forces until the Armed Forces Special Powers Act or AFSPA is repealed. The NSF will be flying tomorrow as well “in honour of the innocent lives cruelly taken away from us by our adversaries”.

What happened in Nagaland on December 4, 2021?

On December 4 last year, six coal miners returning from work were killed in a botched ambush by the security forces at Oting village, while seven others were gunned down when angry villagers scuffled with them after discovering the bullet-riddled bodies of the labourers on an Army truck.

One security personnel was also killed in the incident. Another civilian was killed when a mob attacked an Assam Rifles camp at Mon town the next day.

It may be mentioned that the Nagaland government had formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the incident, which had submitted its charge sheet before a court against 30 personnel of the operations team of 21 Para Special Force of the Army.

The Army had also constituted a Court of Inquiry (CoI), which has also completed its enquiry.

Copy edited by Lipika Roy

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