Cong demands lifting of disturbed area tag
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, December 11 2021: The Congress party has once again urged the BJP-led Governments at both the State and the Centre to repeal the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 which grants special powers to armed forces from Manipur.

Speaking to the media at Congress Bhavan at BT road here today, MPCC working president MLA Keisham Meghachandra stated that AFSPA is a black law which the people despise and the same can only be imposed in the jungle.

Continuing that the State Government should consider withdrawing the disturbed area tag from Manipur so that AFSPA which challenges the very foundation of democracy and violates human rights can be repealed, the Congress MLA claimed that the State Cabinet has the power to lift disturbed area status from Manipur at any point of time.

"Once the disturbed area tag is removed, AFSPA will automatically become invalid," he said.

Cong demands lifting of disturbed area tag

Maintaining that the Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister can also raise the issue at the Parliament, Meghachandra reminded that Chief Ministers of Nagaland and Meghalaya had already urged the Centre to repeal the 'draconian' law from North East India following the brutal massacre of innocent civilians at Oting in Nagaland's Mon district.

The same demand is being raised by different CSOs and political parties in Manipur, he said and added that the response of Chief Minister N Biren Singh, however, is very unfortunate.

He then asked as to why N Biren is hesitating to stand firmly against the barbarous Act.

"If the law and order has indeed improved in Manipur as claimed by N Biren repeatedly, then why is he not removing the disturbed area tag," the Congress MLA asked and expressed desire for the Government to take a concrete decision against the AFSPA.

"The stance of NPP and NPF which are coalition partners of the incumbent State Government on the issue should be made public," he demanded.

Saying that similar instances like that of Mon district had taken place in Manipur and the people here have not forgotten the massacres at Heirangoithong, Malom, RIMS and Oinam village in Senapati, the MPCC working president cautioned that there is no guarantee such ugly incidents will not be staged again.

"It was the Congress that removed AFSPA 1958 from seven Assembly segments of Manipur in 2004 despite the opposition by the Central Government", he reminded and asserted that the Congress would work to remove disturbed area tag from Manipur in the very first Cabinet sitting if the people voted them to power.

"AFSPA 1958 is not enforced even in naxalites affected States," he pointed out and asked why the Centre is imposing such draconian laws only in few States including Manipur.

"It is questionable if the Centre is treating people from North East India as second class citizens," he said.