Elements demanding AFSPA in valley : CM
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 08 2024: Chief Minister N Biren has stated that certain elements have been mounting pressure on the Centre to reimpose the contentious Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in the valley districts of Manipur.

Responding to a call attention raised by Phungyar MLA K Leishiyo in today's session, N Biren continued that these elements believe normal laws cannot address the evolving situation and as such demanded that AFSPA should be reimposed in the valley districts.

Saying that he had apprised the Central leadership to not reimpose AFSPA after assuring them he would restore law and order in valley districts as soon as possible, the Chief Minister added that AFSPA violates the democratic rights of the people.

He also agreed to the comment given by Leishiyo that people of Manipur have been bearing the brunt of AFSPA.

Saying that the Centre has the power to reimpose AFSPA even if the State Government can remove disturbed areas status and take a resolution to withdraw the Act, N Biren added that the Central Government has to be convinced to not reimpose AFSPA first before the House takes any resolution against it.

The Chief Minister suggested that taking a resolution to replace AFSPA with other provisions of the recently enacted three criminal laws which can treat people more humanely and with dignity and forwarding the same to the Centre would be more productive.

He further said that a team of legislators including the members of the Opposition party can be constituted to approach the Centre with a proposal to replace AFSPA with more humane legislation.

Raising the calling attention earlier, K Leishiyo, the NPF MLA, said that the issue of AFSPA is concerning as people of Manipur have been bearing the brunt of the Act since decades back.

Saying that AFSPA is viewed as a very harsh legislation which violates the rights of the people and is not decent to implement in a democratic Nation like India as per human rights activists and the people, the Naga MLA asked whether the Central Government doesn't see the people of Manipur as fellow human beings.

Why is the Centre imposing AFSPA till today and undermining the rights of the people of Manipur, he asked.

Leishiyo, while recounting the horror of AFSPA, said that Rose Ningshen of Ngaprum Village committed suicide after she was raped by BSF personnel.

The incident of Rose led to the establishment of Tangkhul Shanao Long, he said.

Saying that many insurgent groups mushroomed in North East States after AFSPA was imposed in the region to counter insurgency, the NPF MLA said that imposition of AFSPA has no other purposes than instilling fear in the people.

He also said that the Government of India is imposing AFSPA in Manipur as they only want the land of the State but hate the people.

No issue can be resolved using violence, Leishiyo said.

AFSPA is still not withdrawn from Manipur despite Irom Sharmila fasting against the Act for 16 long years, the NPF MLA said and added that designating large part of Manipur as disturbed areas give the wrong impression about the State to the rest of the country and beyond.

Central security personnel who come to Manipur newly also see the State as a highly sensitive zone due to imposition of AFSPA, he said and added that the figure of fatality of security forces is much lower when compared to States like Chhattisgarh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Stating that imposition of AFSPA is one major factor which discourage investors from investing in Manipur, he urged the Chief Minister to withdraw AFSPA from both the hill and valley districts of the State.

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