AFSPA in NE amid peace accords, stability claims
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: September 13, 2021 -

OWING to notable decline in the number of major encounters between security forces and insurgents in the last few years, the demands by civil society and human rights groups for repealing the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, had been waning considerably consequently resulting in the incumbent government claiming credit for the semblance of normalcy returning to the state, where fire-fights, both genuine and dubious, used to be a daily affair.

From being an insurgency-infested state for the past many decades, the tasks left for state and central forces at the juncture mainly revolve around checking cross-border smuggling of contraband items, rounding up vehicle lifters and bootleggers, busting drug making units and periodically destroying poppy plantations, cracking down on agitators and preventing social crimes, to name a few.

As these incidents do not pose any substantial threat to the state's law and order, it is understandable that the incumbent government has been in a self-congratulatory mood and does not hesitate to draw comparison with the previous regime whenever any organisation or individual tries to question the establishment vis-a-vis state's present-day socio-geopolitical situation.

Unlike the past when it was very rare to observe individual member of the security forces in public places, these days the armed police personnel in uniform driving around in two-wheelers or chatting casually with the commoners is a common sight, thereby validating the government's claim on law and order stability.

The few indications that Manipur is yet to qualify itself as really stable state are the heavy deployment of security personnel as and when assembly sessions are held and along the travel routes of VIPs.

As such, with the state undoubtedly experiencing one of the most peaceful times in decades, it is obvious that the government wouldn't mind occurrences of some stray Incidents.

However, observance of the 63th anniversary of implementation of AFSPA in the state on Saturday and conduct of a public discourse, where the speakers emphasised on sustaining the movement for scrapping of the pro-military law underscore that the semblance of normalcy cannot delete memories of brutalities suffered by the people due to misuse of power by the men in uniform.

Observance of the anniversary should also prod conscience of those in power, who are proclaiming restoration of order but are adamant to continue with AFSPA 1958.

The government might have its own reason for empowering the security forces but Saturday's commemorative event has rung out the message that justice must be delivered to those who suffered nightmarish physical and mental torture or lost their near ones to excesses committed by the security forces under the immunity granted by AFSPA.

Other than an unprecedented announcement for scrapping the AFSPA with an eye on the upcoming assembly, it is apparent that the government of Manipur wouldn't want to upset the Union government, which still perceives the whole of northeast as a restive region.

Moreover, the fact that AFSPA will remain in the region could be comprehended from the Assam government on Saturday extending the 'Disturbed Area' status for another six months, weeks after the Centre signed a peace pact with Bodo armed outfits and Nagaland retaining the same status in-spite of almost all the Naga insurgent groups holding peace parleys with the Union government.