IMPHAL, December 17: As part of the struggle for Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA in Delhi, a team of the Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA Group (SDRAG) had presented a campaign T Shirt to the opposition leader of the Lok Shabha, and former Deputy Prime Minister of India, L.K Advani at his residence -30, Prithviraj Road, New Delhi on December 16 at 4.30 pm.
According to a release of the organization, the campaign T-Shirt printed with repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers act 1958 in the front side and support 11 years of hunger strike by Irom Sharmila and Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA in the back side was presented to L.K.Advani during the all-round interaction with the students from the North East during an advance Christmas program hosted by L.K Advani himself in his residence, Delhi.
It has further added that at first when the T shirt was presented to L.K Advani by explaining about Irom Sharmila`s 11 years hunger strike to repeal AFSPA, he was very reluctant to take it in front of the media persons and students gathering around him. He was saying “I will take later on”.
One of the SDRAG members said to the former deputy Prime Minister “it is a token of love and gift from the students”. Finally, he received the T-Shirt with a campaign round badge written with save democracy repeal AFSPA. He also loudly read the round badge written as SAVE DEMOCRACY REPEAL AFSPA- Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the release added.
Further according to the statement, LK Advani was approached to repeal the Armed Forces Specials Powers Act at the moment. But he did not give any response to the SGRAG.
“On October 30, 2011 at Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, LK Advani had opposed the withdrawal of the draconian law, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from occupied Kashmir.LK Advani talking to mediamen in Thiruvananthapuram said, “I don`t think there is a need to withdraw AFSPA in so far as Jammu and Kashmir is concerned. Nothing should be done that weakens the armed forces` position.” He, however, said that there was a case for withdrawal of the Act in Manipur, which could be examined.”, the release added.
After the formal program of the event the similar campaign T- Shirt was also presented to the BJP national convener-in-charge of northeast India Sampak cell Sunil Deodhar and BJP MLA elected from Goa who also attended the program. Sunil Deodhar was laughing while receiving the campaign T-shirt and responded “You have given this to us (BJP) since you already knew BJP’s position on AFSPA that we will oppose to repeal AFSPA”.
SDRAG members told him that “if you really care for the North East Region and love for the people who lives there as you said, you should try to address the genuine issues. Simply organizing cultural programs may not help”. Sunil also asked that why people of Manipur do not strike against the local commandos when they killed many people in Manipur. Why only against Indian Armies? He further said that was not the right place to discuss all this issues, the release added.
SDRAG strongly feels that the political parties like BJP or any political parties should stop doing double politics on AFSPA in Delhi and regional centers like Manipur. We want to ask why the central BJP party leaders are saying something and regional leaders are saying something. We will continue our campaign with one main objective- Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA, the statement added.