Rongmei bodies demand repeal of AFSPA
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, January 04 2022:
Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland), Rongmei Lu Phuam (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) and Rongmei Naga Youth Organisation (Manipur), in a joint memorandum, submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday demanded repeal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the entire northeast India.
In the memorandum, the three CSOs reminded the Prime Minister of the severity of the draconian law, citing the recent incident in Nagaland's Mon district where 14 civilians lost their lives in indiscriminate firing by the 21 Assam Rifles at a civilian vehicle; the killing and torture of civilians in an operation code-named 'Operation Blue Bird' (1987); the killing of 10 civilians by CRPF at Malom in 2010 that prompted Irom Sharmila Chanu to go on hunger strike for two decades demanding repeal of ASFPA; the killing of 10 civilians by CRPF at RMC (now RIMS) in 2010; and the killing of 14 people by CRPF at Heirangoithong, Imphal.
Mentioning that more than 1 lakh people had been killed during the past decades in the northeast under the spell of AFSPA, the memorandum sought "special attention of the Prime Minister for urgent repeal of the Act so as to allow the northeast people to find peace and the taste of India's freedom after 75 years of independence" .