Consultation on AFSPA at Gauwahati
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, March 08, 2014:
A consultation on AFSPA was held at the conference Hall of the North Eastern Social Research Centre, Gauwahati to mark the International Women's Day today organised by the North East Social Research Centre and Legal Cell for Human Rights.
Human Rights defenders, student leaders, academicians, retired Government officials, faculty of law colleges, victims of AFSPA deliberated on the issue.
After a brisk and emotional day-long discussion, the consultation concluded that there is need for the civil society of the North East to come together to launch a people's movement against AFSPA.
Speaking at the function, RN Ravi, former special director of the Intelligence Bureau (North East) stressed that the prolong imposition of AFSPA has created a culture of impunity within the State and a culture of acquiescence and fatalism within the society.
It has rendered the State and the Society of North East India into �comprehensive regression�.
Despite the advice of the IB to remove AFSPA, the ruling elite in Assam and Manipur insist on continuing with the same black law because they stand to gain from the law which denies transparent and accountable governance.
He wondered why the youth of the North East have to go to find menial jobs to the metros when the region is poured in with fund which is four times more than that is allocated to other citizen of India.
He called upon the civil society and youth leaders to speak out louder and longer with perseverance to repeal the Act.
Babloo Loitongbam, director of Human Rights Alert, asserted that provision of AFSPA is untenable even if there is armed rebellion as it falls far short of the International Humanitarian Law.
He called AFSPA as a racist law as stamped by the UN Committee on Elimination of Racial Discrimination.