GH NGOs to oppose AFSPA

TURA: The move by the High Court of Meghalaya directing the Centre to enforce the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has drawn strong reaction from the NGOs of Garo Hills who are hell bent on seeing that the proposal does not materialize.
President of the AYWO, Adinson Ch Momin, said enforcing the AFSPA in Garo Hills will bring more suffering than good to the innocent people especially the villagers of Garo Hills. He said that several NGOs of Garo Hills including the GSU, FKJGP, AYWO, ADE, AAYF and others had already got together and resolved that it would protest the enforcement of the Act as it would lead to torture and other criminal acts against the innocent people of Garo Hills.
“If there was any guarantee that militancy in Garo Hills could be eradicated by the enforcement of the Act, the people of Garo Hills could endure the period it was enforced until it was lifted. However, as there is no such guarantee the Centre and the State initiate talks with the various militant outfits instead of enforcing the Act,” Marak said.
He also said that there would be chaos in Garo Hills as there was no law to check crimes and harassment of the people in the name of operations under the AFSPA.
Meanwhile, the GSU in Dadenggre is set to begin mobilization of people from Wednesday to sensitize the people about AFSPA. A meeting was held on Tuesday to discuss on steps to be taken with regard to the issue. During the meeting it was decided to organize a meeting at Dadenggre Bazar on Wednesday, which would then move on to Rom Bazar, Damal A’sim Bazar and finally at Sadolpara.
“As the HC directive to the centre was only just announced it is not possible to say much at this juncture. But we will definitely decide on necessary steps to be taken to oppose its enforcement before it comes up for hearing on November 18,” the GSU Dadenggre president Rupa M Marak said over phone.