In a case of mistaken identity, the 12 Para Special Forces of the Indian Army shot at two villagers near Khuwantong village in Tirap district on Friday evening. Both the villagers are out of danger and are currently being treated at Dibrugarh in Assam. It may be recalled that, on 5 December last year, 13 civilians were killed by the Indian Army in a case of mistaken identity at Oting village in Mon district of Nagaland. This incident at Tirap comes at a time when the security forces and Naga rebel groups are increasingly indulging in fierce area domination battles in Tirap, Changlang, and Longding (TCL) districts.
A few days ago also, a civilian was killed in a gun battle between the NSCN and the armed forces in Tirap. In the battle between the security forces and insurgents, the civilians are increasingly getting caught. They are paying a heavy price. While it may be too much to expect the militants to follow the laid-down norms, the citizens expect at least the security forces to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP). Their failure to follow the SOP is leading to incidents of shooting at villagers in cases of mistaken identity. The military operating in the TCL region should introspect and relook into their working style. If ordinary villagers continue to face trouble, they might not cooperate with the security forces. The army has won the hearts of the people with its good work over the years. All the hard work will go in vain.