Source: Oken Jeet Sandham - NEPS
Kohima, March 23:
The Committee to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) which planned to visit Manipur�s Senapati district this morning for public hearing has failed to make it due to inclement weather.
Regretting for inability to make their visit to Senapati this time, the Committee however said it would return to Manipur for further public hearing and consultations next month including a visit to Senapati.
It may be mentioned that a four-member Committee to review the AFSPA had a day-long public hearing yesterday at Hotel Japfu where officials of State Government, leaders of various NGOs that included Naga Hoho, Naga Mothers Association, Naga Students Federation, Nagaland Bar Association, etc.
gave their views on the Act (AFSPA).
The Members of the Committee who have come to Nagaland are PP Srivastava, Lt Gen (retd) VR Raghavan, Dr SB Nakade and Sanjoy Hazarika.
Hazarika while talking to press yesterday commended the frankness and clarity the Naga people had during hearing.
He also informed that for the first time in 40 years, the Government of India had set up a review committee to find out the general mood, feeling and opinions of the masses.
This is the clear indication that the Government has honored the opinions of the masses, he explained.
Gen Raghavan also said many wanted to repeal the AFSPA while asking army to stay back.
He was critical of such statements saying no army could function without minimum special powers.
He even cited the sporadic factional fights in Nagaland, although the State has a relative peace today following peace process between the Government of India and the Naga underground leaders.
He, however, stated they were here to mobilize the public opinions on the controversial AFSPA and would submit its final findings to the Government of India in last part of May.