The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Repeal AFSPA, says Manipuri Solidarity Forum

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Tuesday, Jan 08, 2008
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Repeal AFSPA, says Manipuri Solidarity Forum

Staff Reporter

U. Nobokishore

Bangalore: In a dialogue on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, organised by the Bangalore branch of the Manipuri Solidarity Forum, the North East Dialogue Forum represented by U. Nobokishore and Miranjan, and civil rights activists from the city participated.

Mr. Nobokishore said that the Government must repeal the Act and stop the human rights violations in the northeast in conformity with the recommendations made by the Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission and the United Nations Committee on Racial Discrimination. The international convention on elimination of all forms of racial discrimination in March 2007, had urged the Government of India to repeal the AFSPA within a year, that is by February 2008.

Mr. Nobokishore said that in addition to the repealing of the Act, the Government must initiate a rehabilitation process if peace and progress are to be achieved. The North East Dialogue Forum has put forward a 15-point charter of demands. This includes the demand for support programmes for the victims of armed conflict, a free press and protection of journalists from corruption and violence, and the extension of educational programmes in rural areas. They have also said that following a peace agreement with insurgent groups, safety should be ensured to them.

The Act is again the fundamental right to life, he added. He sought the support of civil society, media and human rights activists of the nation to build up a strong movement.

Mr. Miranjan called the AFSPA ‘an expensive Act’ as the Government is incurring high expenditure on deployment of the Army.

While the Act was to curb insurgency in Manipur, insurgent groups had increased from one in 1958 to 22 in Manipur at present.

It is clear that AFSPA is not a solution to the violence, he said.

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