‘Imposition of Act a problem, rather than solution’
TURA/ SHILLONG: Several prominent NGOs of Garo Hills including the Tengsak led GSU, FKJGP, ADE, AYWO and FAF is strongly opposing the possible enforcement of AFSPA in Garo Hills and announced a protest procession to be held in Tura after holding rallies in different parts of Garo Hills.
A delegation comprising of leaders of all five NGOs will also be leaving for the national capital sometime this month with a plea to the Central government not to invoke the AFSPA in Garo Hills or declare it a ‘disturbed area’ based on the fact that GNLA does not pose a threat to the internal security of the country.
Earlier on Sunday, the NGOs also met Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on the issue where they were reportedly informed that the setting up of 36 police outpost has been recommended in Garo Hills and that the Meghalaya Police Force was capable of countering the GNLA.
According to the NGOs they were informed by the chief minister that the State government had asked for funds from the Centre to revamp the Meghalaya police force and for supply of sophisticated weapons to suppress the GNLA more quickly.
The NGOs also requested the chief minister to urge the Central government not to allow the AFSPA to be invoked in Garo Hills to which an assurance was given that the State government would do as it believed it could bring the situation posed by the GNLA under control.
Giving their own views on the issue the NGOs stated that one of the effective ways to curb militancy in NE would be to tone down on the volume of arms being smuggled through the porous international border and urged the Indian Government to secure and tighten its international border with Bangladesh.
Reminding of the current situation in Manipur where AFSPA is in imposition for over 20 years now, the NGOs said that the Act has not succeeded in curbing the menace of militancy rather more militant groups have mushroomed.
“AFSPA is a tragedy and a military irony in a democratic country,” they added.
Meanwhile, NESO has opposed enforcement of AFSPA in Garo Hills.
In a statement issued to the media on Monday, NESO chairman Samuel Jyrwa said the ‘draconian act’ was criticized by several sections for its tyrannical execution where innocent victims were accepted as collateral damage and preservation of human rights and life is expendable under its envelope to a great extent.
The statement said that NESO does not believe that Garo Hills deserves the implications of being declared a ‘disturbed area’ and the implementation of AFSPA.
According to NESO, the Armed Forces Special Powers Ordinance of 1942 was the handiwork of the British government implemented for the sole aim of suppressing the Quit India Movement.
The GSU, Mendal regional unit, North Garo Hills, also organised a public protest rally on Monday against the Meghalaya High Court for proposing enforcement of AFSPA in Garo Hills.
Senior citizens, headman of different villages, Church leaders, school teachers and students attended the rally and condemned the directive of the High Court. The rally also condemned Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and Home Minister Roshan Warjri for remaining silent on the issue.
BJP unit petitions PM against AFSPA
The BJP East Garo Hills unit has petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi against any move to implement AFSPA in Garo Hills.
In a letter addressed to the Prime Minister, the BJP unit said that the situation was not that serious to warrant deployment of the Army and paramilitary forces in insurgency hit Garo Hills and the State government was fully competent to handle it with supplementing efforts from the Centre.
According to the BJP unit, the order to impose AFSPA cannot be implemented as the situation arising out of the insurgency fuelled mainly by the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) was a local law and order problem that must be handled by the State government as per the constitutional scheme of things.
“The situation in Meghalaya is less problematic than Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, where AFSPA is in force. The Garo insurgency does not warrant central intervention, especially given the overall sentiments against AFSPA in the north-eastern region,” the BJP said.
According to the BJP, in Kashmir many women are called half widows because their husbands have been abducted and secretly killed, all in the name of counter-insurgency.
“Under AFSPA the security forces enjoy immunity for causing death and tortures they inflict in the name of countering insurgency. Very often the encounters are staged and suspects are killed because the higher ups need quick results,” the party said in the letter.