Rights activist Irom Sharmila, MHRC Chairman Kh Mani, Director of HRLN Rakesh M welcome Centre's move
Many want Act repealed from entire State
Source: The Sangai Express

Kolkota/Imphal, April 01 2022: Rights activist Irom Sharmila, who was on a 16-year-long hunger strike demanding repeal of AFSPA, welcomed the Centre's decision to reduce areas under the Act's purview in Assam, Nagaland and Manipur but maintained that the "draconian, colonial law" should be rolled back completely.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday announced a reduction in the number of "disturbed areas" in the three North Eastern States where the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 continues to be imposed along with Jammu & Kashmir.

Sharmila, hailed as the 'Iron Lady of Manipur', termed AFSPA an "oppressive law" and said that it has never been a solution to tackling insurgency.

"I welcome the Centre's decision to reduce the number of areas under the AFSPA's purview.

It is a positive step in the right direction.

But the law should be repealed as it is not a solution," she told PTI in a telephonic interview.

Rights activist Irom Sharmila, MHRC Chairman Kh Mani, Director of HRLN Rakesh M welcome Centre's move

"India is a democratic country.

For how long should we carry forward this colonial law ? Why should people suffer because of it ? In the name of fighting insurgency, crores of rupees are wasted which could have been utilised for the overall development of North East.

AFSPA acts as a roadblock for progress," Sharmila, who ended her marathon hunger strike in 2016, said.

The Centre's decision came three months after it constituted a high-level committee to examine the possibility of lifting AFSPA from Nagaland, where 14 civilians were gunned down by security forces in a case of "mistaken identity" in December last year, triggering massive outrage.

"The law and order situation in Manipur is not so bad that AFSPA has to remain imposed.

Only bureaucrats and politicians derive benefits from its imposition.

It creates misunderstanding among unemployed youths.

The common people are the ones who suffer," Sharmila said.

AFSPA has been in force in the three North Eastern States for decades to tackle insurgency.

It gives the security forces power to apprehend anyone on the basis of suspicion without a warrant, besides providing troops immunity from arrest or prosecution.

Human rights activists have alleged that the law has been often misused to arrest, raid houses or even shoot people.

"You can't win over people by force.

The Government should try to win the hearts of the people of North East.

Once there is real connection between the people and those in power, things will improve," she said.

Noting that people from the North East face discrimination in other parts of the country, Sharmila, who unsuccessfully contested the 2017 Manipur assembly polls, said the repeal of AFSPA will also reduce the distance between people of the region and "mainland India" .

Sharmila had started her hunger strike against AFSPA after 10 civilians were allegedly gunned down by security forces at a bus stop in Malom near Imphal in 2000.She waged her peaceful resistance for 16 years before ending it in 2016 .

The 50-year-old rights activist got married in 2017 and is now settled in south India with her family.

Chairman of Manipur Human Rights Commission, Khaidem Mani also welcomed the decision of the Centre to roll back the Army Act from areas under 15 police stations spread across 6 districts.

Speaking to The Sangai Express at the office of the MHRC today, Mani said that the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was enforced in the whole of Manipur on September 8, 1980 .

Simultaneously the MHRC came into being and so too did the Meira Paibi movement.

Ever since then various human rights groups as well as student bodies have been launching different movement to safeguard the rights of the common people.

Going back into time, Khaidem Mani recalled that back in 2004, the then Congress Government under O Ibobi got the Army Act repealed from seven Assembly segments falling within the Imphal Municipal areas.

And now the BJP Government has gone ahead and got it repealed across six districts.

The MHRC had also taken up a case and set a three months time to know the position of the Government on the said Act on August 2, 2021 .

A three months window period was given to the Government to furnish an answer, he added.

Nevertheless it is heartening that the Act has been withdrawn from six districts, said Mani and added that it would have been much better if AFSPA had been withdrawn from all over the State.

Director of Human Rights Law Network Rakesh Meihoubam too echoed the same line of thought and said that it is positive of the Centre to have withdrawn the Act from six districts.

Even though the Act was imposed to fight militancy, a case concerning over 1500 alleged extra-judicial killing cases is pending with the Supreme Court of India.

EEVFAM is at the forefront pursuing this case, he said and added till date no befitting action has been taken up against anyone who killed with impunity under the cover of AFSPA.

What people want is the removal of the Act from all over Manipur, he said while acknowledging the latest move of the Centre.