Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 21:
Calls to repeal the Armed Forces Special powers Act 1958 from Manipur echoed at Senapati district headquarters today where the AFSPA Review Committee conducted its second public hearing in the State within six months.
A host of Naga NGOs, student bodies, social organisations and individuals streamed in at the Senapati District Mini Stadium from 9.30 am till 12.30 pm to air objections and submit memoranda against continuance of the repressive Act in Manipur despite boycott call given by the hard-line faction of the Apunba Lup, informed sources said.
The Naga bodies categorically insisted upon the four Review panel members to scrap the Act rather than embark on futile mission to review or replace AFSPA against which the State had witnessed widespread agitation for months in the aftermath of the custodial death of Th Manorama Devi, said sources.
Endorsing the report, one of the panel members, journalist Sanjoy Hazarika described the response as good and said all the respondents were unanimous in demanding scrapping of the Act.
Informing that only two more public hearings in Upper Assam areas are left, the noted journalist said the final report will be submitted to the Government of India before the six month deadline lapses.
The Central Government had instituted the Review Committee on November 19, last.
Taking note of representatives of the Kuki community not showing up at the Senapati session, Hazarika expressed confidence that a large number of Kukis would turn up at the Churachandpur hearing.
Representatives of the Naga people�s Movement for human Rights, Naga people�s Organisation, Senapati District Students� Association, Naga Women Union (Manipur), All Naga Students� Association and others among the 26 organisations and individuals listed to present their respective cases during the hearing reportedly highlighted the plight of the people entangled in different facets of atrocities perpetrated by security force personnel.
The representatives in their memoranda to the panel besides Sanjoy Hazarika also comprise of SP Nakade (retd VC), Lt Gen (retd) VR Raghavan and PP Srivastav are said to have highlighted negative implication of imposing the Act which emboldens the law enforcing agencies to abuse human rights under the immunity granted by the AFSPA.
As the prolonged imposition of AFSPA in the State had proved beyond doubt to be counter-productive resulting in multiplication of underground outfits besides gross violation of human rights, particularly against the innocent public, by security forces we urged the Act Review Committee to repeal it, conveyed an SDSA leader.
Similar facts and sentiments were put forth by other organisations, he said and added that the panel members took serious note of the comments.
Mention may be made that the Senapati public hearing was earlier scheduled for March 23 but had to be deferred owing to inclement weather which forced the panel team to head back from Kohima.
On April 23, the review panel would resume its hearing at Churachandpur district headquarters.