Candlelight Vigil held in remembrance of Oting Massacre at the Konyak Morung, Naga Heritage Village, Kisama on December 5. (Morung Photo)
Sombre candlelight vigil amidst festivities
Morung Express News
Kohima | December 5
As festivities went on at the Naga Heritage village, Kisama, on December 5, the Konyak Morung witnessed a solemn candlelight vigil. The event was organised by the Eastern Nagaland Students’ Federation (ENSF) in remembrance and in honour of the victims of the December 4, 2021, Oting Massacre.
According to the ENSF, a state known for its colourful traditional festivals should not witness such tragedies. While calling for the complete repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from Nagaland, ENSF President, Nuheymong Yim asserted that the community must remain united in demanding justice for the victims.
He termed the tragic killings as a national shame, and five years on, justice still evades the victims.
Yim presented what was described as the ‘Ground Zero Report of the ENSF’ on the Oting Massacre. He said that the report provides a detailed testimony of eyewitness accounts as opposed to earlier conflicting narratives. Per this report, 14 people were killed by a unit of the 21 Para Special Forces near Tiru village.
It stated that the miners left their site at around 4:00 to 4:30 pm, not long after which gunshots were heard. When they failed to return, villagers went looking for them, eventually finding a truck riddled with bullets. Six bodies were discovered hidden under a tarpaulin in a security vehicle. The report alleges forces attempted to dress the victims in combat uniforms to frame them as militants. In the ensuing confrontation, security personnel opened fire, causing further casualties.
It further alleged that individuals unconnected to the clash were shot while hiding from the gunfire, including Bibul Konwer and Asami Nambo Konya. Another civilian, Pongchi Konya, was killed at his farm, far from the incident. The report challenged the self-defense claim of the 21 Para SF, noting the targeting of unarmed civilians and the misidentification of injured victims as militants at the hospital.
Yim held that the ENSF report represents the factual account and warned against distorting the truth. While he acknowledged the presence of a Konyak cultural troupe member at the candlelight vigil, he reiterated that justice must be delivered without further delay to the victims and their families.
President of the Eastern Nagaland People’s Union Kohima (ENPUK), N Toshi Chang, regarded the gathering as not merely to recall an incident but to honour people whose lives were cut short on December 4, 2021, in Oting, Mon.
He noted that while the world might remember the tragedy through headlines, reports, and debates, for the Naga people it remains a deep wound and a painful memory. He emphasised that the fourteen victims were not statistics, but people returning home after a day’s labour, thinking of their families, and preparing for Christmas.
He read out the names of the victims and spoke about the enduring grief of their families, visible in the small everyday reminders left behind in their homes.
Chang praised the unity and dignity shown by the people of Oting, Mon and Nagaland in general, in the aftermath of the tragic killings.
He added that although four years have passed, memory has no expiry date, and forgetting would mean another loss. He urged the community to continue supporting the bereaved families and to build a society guided by empathy and humanity.
He concluded by stating that the fourteen men will always be remembered, honoured, and carried forward in the hearts of the people, and he prayed for continued healing and unity.
