The Hindu : National : Special Powers Act will stay if need be, says Shivraj Patil

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Friday, Aug 13, 2004

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Special Powers Act will stay if need be, says Shivraj Patil

By Vinay Kumar

Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil during an interview to The Hindu in New Delhi on Thursday. — Photo: V.V. Krishnan

NEW DELHI, AUG. 12. With the rapidly escalating situation in Manipur engaging the attention of the Centre, the Union Home Minister, Shivraj Patil, today said that the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) would stay in Manipur if the situation there demanded so.

``There is no rigidity. We will do what circumstances demand and take [the] opinion of all sections of the people. There are people in the State who want the Act to stay. If [the] agitators are demanding withdrawal of the Act, there are people who feel it should stay for protecting their lives and property. So there are two views on it. The Centre's gesture will be for the benefit and [the] well-being of a majority of the people. We are not rigid in our attitude. The Act will go if normality is restored in the State,'' he said.

In an interview to The Hindu in his North Block office here, Mr. Patil said the Chief Minister, Okram Ibobi Singh, had been asked to do his duty, assuage the feeling of the people and take action against insurgents. Asked about Mr. Singh's assurance to the people that AFSPA would be withdrawn by August 15, Mr. Patil said that it was ``very difficult'' to determine a time-table. The Government could not be brought under pressure to act without examining all aspects.

Action against guilty

On the deployment of the paramilitary forces in the insurgency-hit State, Mr. Patil said that security personnel were there to protect the people and act against insurgents. ``An armed force personnel is not free to use his weapon on ordinary and innocent people. If this is done, the guilty should be punished speedily.'' Admitting that any law could be misused, he said that those guilty of misusing it should be brought to book.

The Government was ready to look at the provisions of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gave immunity to the armed forces. ``After all, security personnel are deployed to protect the local people and the Government has to see that they are not demoralised while facing bullets in the line of their duty,'' he said.

Striking a balance

Emphasising the need for striking a ``balance'' between the protection of innocent civilians and the discharge of duties by security forces, Mr. Patil said the Government was responsible for protecting the human rights of all sections of the people. ``Manipuri people are peace-loving and even insurgents are our brothers and we have to talk to them to solve their problems,'' he said.

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