India: Security forces kill civilians after mistaking them for insurgents

More than a dozen civilians were killed by Indian security forces in the northeastern state of Nagaland, government officials said Sunday.

The civilians, who lived in a remote village along the border with Myanmar, were mistakenly believed to be militants.

Home Minister Amit Shah said he was “anguished” by the killing in Nagaland’s Oting village.

“I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives,” he said, adding that an investigative team set up by the state would “thoroughly” probe the incident.

The top elected official of Nagaland state, Neiphiu Rio, offered his condolences to the victims’ families on Twitter, saying the killings were “highly condemnable.”

What happened?

The victims were daily wage laborers who were returning home from a coal mine on Saturday evening in a pick-up truck when they suddenly came under fire.

They were ambushed by the army’s para commando unit that was taking part in a counterinsurgency operation.

The soldiers fired at the truck after receiving intelligence about a movement of insurgents in the area, an unnamed army officer told the Associated Press. Six people in the truck were killed.

Villagers angered over the killings set fire to two army vehicles in protest. The soldiers responded by firing at them, killing seven more people, the army officer said.

What did the army say?

The army said in a statement that the unit was acting on the basis of credible intelligence of likely movement of insurgents.

“The incident and its aftermath are deeply regretted,” the army said in a statement.

“The cause of the unfortunate loss of lives is being investigated at the highest level and appropriate action will be taken as per the course of law.”

Indian security forces have been battling dozens of ethnic insurgent groups in the country’s northeast, whose demands range from independent homelands to maximum autonomy within India.

adi/rs (AP, Reuters)

• Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine

  A distinct civilization

  The image shows an ariel view of the Ziro Valley in Arunachal Pradesh. The valley is home to more than 37,000 members of the Apatani. The tribe has a distinct civilization with systematic land use practices and rich traditional ecological knowledge of natural resource management and conservation.

• Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine

  Nose plugs

  Tadu Relung, shown in this picture, is the oldest Apatani woman alive in Ziro Valley. Apatani women are famous for their bizarre nose plugs and facial tattoos. The nose plugs are called Yaping Hullo. They are made from wood found in the forest. Nowadays, only older women are wearing the nose plugs, as the government banned them in the early 1970s.

• Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine

  A new attraction

  Why the women wear the nose plugs is disputed. While some say they are for beauty, others believe they are to protect the women from being kidnapped by rival tribes. As the number of women wearing the nose plugs dwindles, there is a new attraction in the region: kiwi wine. In recent years, the Apatani, famed for their agricultural skills, have increased their production and sales of kiwi wine.

• Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine

  Kiwi winery

  Until recently, Arunachal Pradesh’s kiwi farmers were withdrawing from cultivation of the fruit. In 2016, Takhe Rita, who belongs to the tribe and studied agriculture engineering, decided to invest in a boutique winery in her native village. In 2017, she launched Naara-Aaba, a pure kiwi wine that is made from the organic fruit sourced from her personal orchard as well as other farms in the state.

• Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine

  Long process

  The fermentation process takes 7-8 months. The wine is also available in the neighboring states of Assam and Meghalaya. There are plans to export it outside India as well. Rita’s initiative also trains and supports local farmers who cultivate kiwi fruit, by providing them with a buyback assurance.

• Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine

  New income source

  The Apatani couple, Tilling Chada and Tilling Yaneng, have been growing kiwi for many years. Kiwi wine, they say, gives them a new possibility to earn a living. According to them, “Growing kiwi is like raising your own children. You have to give them your love and care for almost three years before the first harvest season starts.”

• Meet Apatanis, a tribe famed for large nose plugs, face tattoos and now kiwi wine

  Organic cultivation

  Thanks to the wine, many kiwi farmers in Ziro Valley are back to their original occupation, and now have a sustainable source of income. Kiwis in the region are grown organically and the abundant sunshine in Ziro contributes to optimum growth of the fruit. The rolling hill slopes of the Ziro Valley are now filled with clusters of kiwi.

  Author: Saurabh Narang

Article source: https://www.dw.com/en/india-security-forces-kill-civilians-after-mistaking-them-for-insurgents/a-60023938?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf