By PTI
IMPHAL: Striking a discordant note, Naga People’s Front, BJP’s ally in the Manipur government has come out against the partial roll-back of the controversial AFSPA act and demanded that it be withdrawn altogether.
The principal opposition in the state, Congress has also sought removal of the law, describing the announcement by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that it would be withdrawn from areas covered by 15 police stations on Thursday, as a “beginning.”
Naga People’s Front State General Secretary Honreikhui Kashung, told PTI “We are not happy with it. Our movement is for withdrawal of AFSPA from the entire North East region and not just from specific areas.”
The NPF is also present in strength in Nagaland where it is the largest party with 25 MLAs and is part of the ruling coalition.
It is also present in Arunachal Pradesh.
Movements demanding scrapping of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958, which empowers security forces with powers to arrest without warrants, search premises and to fire after warning, have rocked the north east and especially Manipur for long.
The killing of fourteen civilians by security forces in a series of firings in Mon district of Nagaland over December 4-5 in a botched anti-militancy operation, reignited decades old demands for removal of the AFSPA.
Manipur too has a long history of anti-AFSPA protests with the longest known hunger strike against the act being undertaken by Irom Sharmila for a period of 16 years till 2016, during which she was force-fed in a hospital after being detained.
Congress Spokesperson Devbrata Khumanthem told PTI that the partial roll-back of the act is a welcome “beginning”, but said the demand is for removal of the Act was from the whole state and not specified areas.
He questioned why the “withdrawal was limited to specific areas when the BJP government has been making claims that law and order has improved in the whole state un last five years.”
Khumanthem pointed out the withdrawal has “divided the people into two grades”, one section being those who live in areas under these few police stations where AFSPA has been withdrawn and others (the majority) who live outside the jurisdiction of these police stations.
AFSPA has been withdrawn from selected, mostly urban police stations, in Imphal East and West, Bishnupur, Thoubal, Jiribam and Kakching.
These areas are in Manipur plains which is dominated by Meiteis.
No relaxation has been given to Naga or Kuki dominated districts.
