Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

Repeal AFSPA

It is unfortunate that the Manmohan Singh Government is not prepared to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act though the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee it appointed recommended its scrapping (editorial "Repeal the hated Act," Dec. 4). On the one hand, the Centre does not take any concrete step to end insurgency in Manipur and, on the other, it continues to inflict sufferings on the people in the name of tackling insurgency.

The Centre should not be surprised if the Manipuris take to the streets one day demanding greater autonomy or even an independent state to be able to make their own humane laws. It will be a culmination of the Centre's laid-back attitude and inaction.

Sh. Ratnamani Singh,
New Delhi

The AFSPA has failed to curb insurgency in Manipur. In fact, in the name of counter-insurgency, the army and paramilitary forces have misused the Act to torture innocent people. It is time the Government gave up its ad hoc-ism vis-à-vis the Northeast and addressed the issues from a socio-economic and geographic perspective.

Konsam Mahendra Singh,
New Delhi

There can be no question that the draconian Act ought to go lock, stock, and barrel. It is a shame that despite vociferous opposition from the people of Manipur and the recommendation of the Justice Reddy Committee, which exposed the misuse of the law, it is being allowed to stay.

R. Ramarathinam,
Puducherry

The Prime Minister should spell out in detail how his Government proposes to go about making the AFSPA "more humane." The alleged custodial killing of Th. Manorama is perhaps the only inhuman use of the AFSPA. Insurgency is at its peak in Manipur and the separatists are fast becoming a strong force. There is no AFSPA in other parts of the country but custodial killings are taking place with alarming frequency.

Col. C.V. Venugopalan (retd.),
Palakkad

For the past four decades or more, the army has been deployed in various States to counter many types of terrorism. When the army is close to achieving its objective, a temporary ceasefire is brought about as a political intermission. Terrorist groups regroup and continue with their unlawful activities. Unfortunately, we are not sensitive to the tremendous hardship faced by the army in combating terrorism. The army today is busy fighting terrorism rather than training to win a war.

Air Commodore
V.V. Nair (retd.),
Alappuzha

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