Political class under scanner of rights' bodies
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 25, 2022 -

AMONG other issues besieging Manipur and a handful of states in the northeast region, the propositions for repealing of the Armed Forces' Special Powers Act, 1958, delivering justice to the victims of alleged stage-managed encounters and finding amicable solution to the insurgency problems would remain the most difficult task for any government in the state or at the centre.

Contrary to the current narrative for the assembly elections mainly centring on the leaders' assurances of bringing economic development to make the citizens believe that a lustrous future is on the anvil in the coming years, it is obvious that for rights organisations and civil societies, neither the ruling BjP's hesitancy in taking a firm stand on the issue of AFSPA or the oppositions' vow to withdraw the controversial law would be impressive enough.

For these vanguards of the society, punishing whoever involved in eliminating pardonable citizens would be the ultimate goal as could be comprehended from the Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families' Association Manipur (EEVFAM) and Human Rights Alert (HRA) placing the people's grievances before the Supreme Court in search of justice.

Among other organisations which are also proactive to expose the wrongs committed by the security forces under the garb of counter-insurgency operations and deliver justice to the victims, EEVFAM and HRA have been most vocal whenever there are instances of abuse of rights.

The fact that EEVFAM has been fighting for the victims for nearly 10 years since petitioning the apex court underscores its determination to take the fight to its logical conclusion.

Till fulfilment of its objectives, which include booking and penalising the guilty security personnel or officers and ensure some sort of monetary balm to the victims' families in the form of formal payment of compensation, it is unlikely that these rights organisations would be amused with the political class' vow in every election to resolve the conflict situation in the region.

It must be remembered that since signing of the agreement between the Centre and the NCSN-IM some 20 years back to cease hostility, New Delhi has been occasionally promising the final dialogue process to finalise the deal but to no avail till date.

Rather the peace pact with NSCN-IM triggered a slew of similar deals with various outfits while several others are obviously keenly assessing the evolving situation. Interestingly, in Manipur's context with the signing of ceasefires with newer insurgent groups pending solutions to the earlier pacts there has been disturbing activities of unauthorised armed persons trying to take control of the national highways at different sections not to speak of emergence of an over-ground movement.

It must, therefore, be understood that mere cessation of hostilities with the government does not necessarily mean a cessation of violence or unlawful, activities.

Indeed, apart from taking to violent-activities, insurgent groups under ceasefire indulge in anti-social activities including running a parallel government, flouting ground rules, collecting tax and maintaining camps other than the designated ones.

In view of such increasing perplexing situation, EEVFAM and HRA have every right to condemn political parties and candidates contesting the Assembly election for trying to feast on works of the organisations for drawing political mileage.

As these organisations approached the apex court without any political motivation but to give hope to the victims' families that justice is imminent, it is advisable that the political class refrain from doing anything that could spark stinging reactions from the masses, who are also looking forward to ensure that all the culprits repent for their sinful act.

It must also be remembered that neither EEVFAM nor HRA is satisfied with the commitment of either the previous regime or the present government to resolve the fake encounter issue.