55 years of AFSPA
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 12, 2013 -

Enacted on September 11, 1958 as an Act of Indian Parliament to tackle the problem of Naga insurgency, Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives sweeping power to personnel of Indian Armed forces even to the extent of ensuring virtual immunity against any possible prosecution for their act of blatant human rights violation, has completed 55 years of existence.

It is a cruel irony, nay, a human tragedy that in a ‘Sovereign, Socialist, Secular and Democratic Republic’ like India, which assured all its citizens of justice, equality and liberty, imposition of a draconian black law like Armed Forces Special Powers Act has continued in some parts of the country, thus, depriving the basic human right to life of the people for the last 55 years.

At the time of passing the Act, there was some resistance within the Parliament but the majority prevailed and the law was passed.

But 55 years down the line, debate on the purpose of the Act still rages on even as people in the States under the grips of AFSPA continue to bear the brunt of this draconian law under which security personnel are empowered to arrest people without issuing warrant or kill anyone on mere suspicion without any fear of prosecution. Nothing could be more ironic and tragic than this.

Imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in some hill areas of Manipur for the first time may have come 3 years after its enactment by the Parliament and the whole State may have been gradually brought under the grip of the Army Act by 1980, but the people of State have suffered the most.

With numerous incidents of arbitrary arrests and killings, fake encounters, forced disappearances, rape and torture, massacres, etc, becoming part of their existence in a democratic country, people of Manipur have been demanding its repeal and Irom Chanu Sharmila has been on a fast unto death stir for nearly 13 years now over the same demand.

In addition to public outcry over Army excesses, redundancy over imposition of AFSPA in Manipur has become more than evidently clear from the inability of the Act to curb the problem of insurgency.

In fact, the Act has become counter-productive today with multiplication of insurgent groups instead of curbing the problem.

There have also been serious allegations of misusing not just the extraordinary powers conferred on them but also working hand in glove with some splinter UG groups by the Army for their own purpose.

Continual existence of such a despised Act despite strong public protest and global calls for repealing it, not to speak of the numerous and recommendations made by even the Government-instituted committees and commissions, and the insistence of the Army that they cannot do without it in dealing with the insurgents, has compelled the people to wonder how many more lives have to be sacrificed in Manipur for the gallantry awards to bedeck the brave Indian Army.