Rejection of Jeevan Reddy Committee report irks rights orgns
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 04 2015:
Major rights groups and other social organisations in Manipur on Wednesday expressed dismay over the rejection of Jeevan Reddy Committee report by Union Home Ministry.
The report had asked for repealing the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) .
Voicing their views, civil society organisations including United NGOs Mission-Manipur, Human Rights Alert, EEVFAM, Human Rights Initiative, Women Action for Development, North East Dialogue Forum and others organized a consultation programme on "AFSPA, 1958 & Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission report" on Wednesday at Manipur Press Club, Imphal.
"If Jeevan Reddy Committee's recommendation for repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is rejected by the Centre, it will clearly indicate India is not a democratic nation," observed Oinam Jugeshwor, consultant, United NGOs Mission-Manipur (UNMM) at the programme.
He said India has been under constant pressure as around 169 countries had recommended the repeal of AFSPA and NSA as well.
"The country has shown total disregard to international pressure," Oinam Jugeshwor observed.
The UNMM leader said the Narendra Modi-led NDA Government at the Centre has time and again promised to withdraw AFSPA from the Northeast and Jammu & Kashmir unlike the previous UPA Government which ignored the issue for a long time.
He informed that many people had been killed in "fake encounters and several cases of enforced disappearances" had been recorded in the State because of the "infamous military Act" .
Oinam Jugeshwor cautioned the people to be aware about the Centre's motive in rejecting the official recommendation for repeal of AFSPA.
Human Rights Alert (HRA) executive director Babloo Loitongbam who also spoke at the consultative meeting said the reported attempt of the Centre to reject the Jeevan Reddy Committee report shows India's deficit in democracy.