NSAB likely boosts to anti-AFSPA move
Source: The Sangai Express / Press Trust of India
Shillong, November 20 2012:
National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) chairman Naresh Chandra today said that the board is likely recommend to repeal or amend AFSPA enforced in Manipur and interstate borders of Assam and Meghalaya besides other States in view of the growing demand from civil society members to do away with it.
"We collected views (on AFSPA and a host of other issues).
Mostly people felt that it (AFSPA) should be amended, repealed or whatever...
That was the general views of the civil societies here," Chandra told reporters after meeting representatives of NGOs of northeastern states here.
The NSAB Chairman said the views expressed by different civil organisations on AFSPA would be part of their report to the Government of India.
The AFSPA has been operative in the North Eastern states of India �first in Manipur and Assam since 1958.In 1972 it was extended to Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura before it was extended to Jammu and Kashmir in 1990 .
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The NSAB chief said a lot of different views were expressed in the meeting which he said quite a few said AFSPA was "counter-productive" .
Asked on the recommendation that the NSAB will put up before the Government, Chandra said, "We do not take decisions.
We are making reports and hopes the Government mulls the final recommendation" .
The NSAB took note of the deficiencies in technical education, healthcare, road and air connectivity, inland water ways across the region which they hope the Government would address.