One year of Mon massacre: No one died in Oting? | Documentary

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At the Naga heritage village of Kisama, around 12 km from the city of Kohima, thousands of tourists — both domestic and international — have set up camps to witness the much-famed ‘festival of festivals’.

The exuberant showcasing of the Naga culture and heritage at the Hornbill Festival has created an atmosphere of escapism. And underneath this reverie, the names of the 14 people who were killed exactly a year ago, on December 4, 2021, seem forgotten.

So today, we bring to you the stories of the families whose lives were overturned after the deadly attack that killed 14 of their loved ones and affected so many more.

EastMojo travelled to Oting village under Mon district where it all began — when six coal miners were mercilessly gunned down by security forces on what was supposed to be an ambush on ‘militants’. The villagers said justice was not a concept for the families because the pain in their hearts and their losses can neither be recovered nor put into words.

The 62-year-old Leang Konyak has not gone out much since her twins – Langwang and Thapwang Konyak (25) – were gunned down by security forces last year. Justice for her is not something she can count on. Leang now spends most of her time tending to her ailing husband.

“In the evening, when it is time for people to return home from the fields, I would cry as I sit outside and wait for my sons to return,” Leang told EastMojo. “Even the sound of the church bell and people singing at the church makes me cry as I am reminded of her sons. They were active members of the church,” the 62-year-old said.

“Other people lost one person from their families. I lost two sons at once. But what’s done cannot be undone. My only wish now is to be buried next to my sons when I die, she said.

The pain that I live with every day will be over only when I am no more, she said.

Leang is not alone in her suffering.

Awat Konyak, now 44, lost her only son Manpeih way home to Oting in Mon district the same day. Manpeih was the sole bread earner of his family when he was killed at the age of 26.

Awat’s only son had met his mother a week before he was killed.

“I still keep wondering if he will return and I keep waiting for him,” she said.

What was supposed to be an eventful pre-Christmas reunion, turned into a horror story for the people of Oting that winter.

The ambush by the security forces had killed six and injured two others. Following this, in a melee over the incident with the villagers, the security forces gunned down seven more villagers and injured several others.

With this, a series of violent confrontations ensued, and eventually, the Assam Rifles resorted to another round of open firing the very next day, gunning down one more civilian.

“After this incident happened, our hearts are lost and we continue to remain the same. It happened on December 4, 2021, but it hurts us so much. Even though the army has asked to come to our village, we are not entertaining anything because we do not know the intentions of the others. We cannot take the risk. So far, the army has also not visited. We haven’t met or talked with them,” Longwang Konyak, chairman of Oting village council, said.

Oting’s Angh Tahwang Konyak also confirmed that the army had offered to help the village council in constructing a community hall, playground, water reservoir, and so on. Unlike others, however, he remains hopeful that such an incident would never happen again.

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