Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 10::
The International Day Against The Death Penalty organized by people's Rights Organization Manipur under the aegis of Amnesty International was held at the conference hall of Hotel Imphal today.
Speaking at the function, Higher Education Minister Francis Ngajokpa categorically stated that death penalty should be abolished once and for all from the country as life is a precious gift of God and further expressed his desire to make Manipur the first State to abolish such inhuman Act from the country.
Lashing out at the practise of awarding death penalty to convicts, Francis said that no individual or law has the right to take the life of any individual.
He also stated that death penalty includes not only awarding death sentences to convict by the Govt but also includes abortions, killings carried out by insurgent groups etc.
MPP president O Joy while strongly condemning the practise of death Penalty in the country stated that death penalty should be abolished and instead other form of less intense penalty should be given so that the person may be given a chance to mend his ways.
Questioning as to why a death penalty should be practised in the country when every individual is given the right to live by the constitution, Prof Gangummei urged the Govt to make an alternative arrangement so that such inhuman penalties could be abolished from the entire country.
Yambem Laba while asserting that AFSPA imposed in the North Eastern region was more deadly in nature than the death penalty given to convicts urged the Central Govt to abolish death penalty from the country.
AMWJU president W Shyamjai also spoke at the function appealed to the KRA cadres not to award death penalty to the abducted drivers.