Source: The Sangai Express
New Delhi, August 25:
Highlighting the voice of the people, the Opposition MLAs of Manipur who are currently in Delhi made it known that the AFSPA is against the wishes of the people.
Describing the Act as a law which gives sweeping powers to the men in uniform to do as they please they said, "we want a complete withdrawal of this Act".
The Manipur MLAs, who plan to meet the President, the Prime Minister and the Opposition leaders, were addressing a press conference here at the residence of NDA convenor George Fernandes He, however, remained evasive on whether the Act should be repealed.
"All I want is restoration of peace in Manipur," Fernandes said ever.ytime he was asked about his views on the law adding that no Central Government till date had taken any steps to do away with this Act.
To another question, he said Manipur had not been discussed in NDA.
"The best road to end the present situation is to go for a ceasefire from both sides and sit down for a dialogue on how to end the killings on either side and create an atmosphere for all round peace and economic development," I Hemochandra Singh, one of the MLAs, said.
Pointing out that the controversial act had not solved insurgency in the area, he asked then "why not do away with it and have a new law," Hemochandra Singh said, adding they favored a national debate on the repeal of the law.
Instead of booking the agitators under NSA, the Government there should open a dialogue with disgruntled elements and opposition to discuss ways of restoring normalcy, he said.
Fernandes, who sat through the conference, however, evaded a direct reply on whether he favored the repeal of the controversial law.
The MLAs from the Federal Party of Manipur, the largest Opposition group in the State, cautioned that the people in the State were suffering a sense of alienation and accused the Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee of not visiting Manipur.
Ibohal Singh said only the Minister of State for Home, Sriprakash Jaiswal went to the State and he too issued contradictory statements.
"Manipur has a civil war like situation...