Source: The Sangai Express / Ninglun Hanghal
New Delhi, August 03 2009:
Under the initiative of the Controls Arms Foundation of India, a briefing session for Parliamentarians on India's role at the ongoing United Nations Process for An Arms Trade Treaty - ATT was held at the Constitution Club in New Delhi today.
Speaking as the Chief Guest of the afternoon session, Dr Thokchom Meinya, Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Outer Manipur said arms and ammunition move freely and the impact are seen directly.
This greatly undermined development, particularly Manipur, which is one of the most affected places, he said.
Underlining the need for control of Arms, he said that there is an urgent need for legal binding on arms transfer, so as to save life and prevent violence.
As a parliamentarian, the role is to advocate an international standard on Arms trade and transfer.
On the public uproar against the State police commandos and the State Government, following the sequence of photos released by Tehelka in connection with the BT Road incident in Manipur, the MP said that he will bring up the matter in Parliament.
M Achang , MP from Nagaland , who also spoke on the occasion stated that Arms flow from developed Nations to undeveloped ones.
North East India , which is home to a large number of armed outfits is one of the classic example where the inflow of Arms needs to be checked.
He also emphasised the need for the Union Government to take serious steps on the matter.
Biswajit Daimary, an MP from Assam mentioned the need to look beyond arms and militarism and stressed the need to see understand other perspectives, when there are so much of suppression and poverty in the
villages.
Other Members of Parliament who were present in support of the Arms Trade Treaty include MPs from Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra and Goa.
The Control Arms Foundation of India launched a signature campaign where over 16 and 11 members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively supported the Treaty.