Imphal, December 12: Giving more teeth of the agitation against the continued imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the State, a number of student organisations including the JNU Students' Union, All India Students' Association (AISA) and Forum for Democratic Initiative (FDI), have today categorically called for the immediate repeal of the Act.

In a joint statement, AISA and FDI today said that a fact finding team of the two bodies has been in Manipur since December 9 and stated that they have been able to ascertain that under the immunity granted by the Act, security personnel have been randomly picking up and killing innocent civilians and dubbing those against the Act as anti-nationals.

Militarisation of the State is complete, said the statement and added AISA and FDI fully support the people's demand for the immediate repeal of AFSPA.

The review proposal or the 'humanised Act' touted by the Centre is nothing but an eyewash, said the statement adding that all versions of black laws will be stiffly opposed.

Strongly reacting to the statement of the Vice Chief of the Army staff, wherein he dubbed the killing of Manorama as 'unfortunate', the statement said it was not unfortunate but a barbaric, brutal and cold blooded murder of a woman.

AISA and FDI have been supporting the people's movement against the AFSPA said the statement and recalled that on July 28 a 72 hour mass hunger strike was organised at Kolkata which was attended by Tasleema Nasreen.

The statement also recalled the other agitations launched in different parts of the country.

The JNU Students' Union and the Manipur University Students' Union have also issued a joint statement wherein they endorsed the people's agitation against the draconian Act.

Demanding fitting punishment of the personnel involved in the killing of Manorama, the student bodies said that AFSPA is not merely an issue of the North East people but for all those concerned about democracy in India.

Setting up a review panel to humanise the black law is not possible as POTA has shown, added the statement and demanded the immediate repeal of AFSPA.

The team which arrived here on December 9 has also met a cross section of people including the family members of Pebam Chittaranjan, who self immolated to demand the repeal of the Act, said the statement.

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