By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 11: The National People’s Party (NPP) has decided to pursue the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act vigorously with the Centre besides calling for a united stand against the draconian law.
Pointing out that NPP Lok Sabha member, Agatha Sangma had categorically spoken in Parliament against the AFSPA and the need to repeal it, Health Minister and the party’s national general secretary, James Sangma said: “As a party, we maintain that stand and we are also going to pursue this very vigorously with the Government of India.”
The NPP leader said this on the sidelines of a candlelight vigil – ‘United against the draconian AFSPA’ — and in remembrance of the 14 civilians killed by security forces in Nagaland. The event was organised by the NPP office in the city on Saturday.
James Sangma said the December 4 incident in Nagaland’s Mon was unfortunate.
“This incident has woken everyone up. We must not let the death of these innocent people go in vain and all of us must stand in solidarity with Nagaland – stand united that is the only way that we can succeed in repealing the AFSPA,” he said.
Insisting that the NPP has always been vocal about the need to repeal the AFSPA in the Northeast, he said, “We feel the law is draconian and counterproductive if you look at the goals it seeks to achieve. So, an Act that does not serve the purpose for which it was legislated, becomes redundant and harmful for our people.”
He said there was no doubt in anybody’s mind that the AFSPA needs to go before more people face human rights abuses and the security forces take advantage of the situation with impunity.
MDCs of the NPP and party workers took part in the candlelight vigil.
Agatha Sangma had on December 7 told the Lok Sabha that it was time to repeal the AFSPA, which had failed to curb insurgency in the Northeast.
Speaking during the Zero Hour, she said the killing of 14 villagers by the security forces in Nagaland was not the first time “where innocent civilians have to bear the brunt of a draconian law like AFSPA”.
Earlier, NPP national president and Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma had said that the Meghalaya government will move the Centre seeking withdrawal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from the North East region.
“AFSPA is not the way to move forward since this draconian law leads to more unrest. We are seeing a situation where lots of precious lives have been lost. People have to go through a lot of pain and suffering,” he had said.
Former chief minister and All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) leader Mukul M. Sangma had also said that Meghalaya’s handling of insurgency and terrorism should be a case study for the Centre and for the entire country.
“The Centre should carry out a case study on how some states, especially Meghalaya, have dealt with problems like insurgency and terrorism,” Mukul had said, adding that if a state can deal with the problem of insurgency by itself without invoking the Act, there is no need for it.