IMPHAL, February 3: A one day political convention on repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 held today, recommended that political parties should include repeal AFSPA demand in their election manifestoes ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The one day convention was organised by the Working Group on AFSPA.
The convention held at the Manipur Press Club further recommended a road map for the political parties to continue with the demand for repeal of AFSPA.
Today’s convention was also participated by representatives of all political parties excluding the Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee and the All India Trinamool Congress.
General secretary, Senior Citizen, Manipur, professor L Sadananda; convenor, Joint Co-ordination Committee on Inner Line Permit System in Manipur Ibotombi Khuman and trustee, Just Peace Foundation Khagemba Anandi also attended the convention.
CPI, state unit secretary, Dr M Nara said that the party has been against the imposition of the act since a long time and shouting for the repeal of AFSPA from not only the state but from the entire country.
During the Manorama incident, being a minister in the state government himself, he along with other elected members of the CPi had pressed for the repeal of the act from the seven segments of Imphal and had set a deadline of August 13, 2004 for the government to act on the demand.
Following the deadline, the state chief minister rushed to New Delhi to meet party seniors, he observed.
The imposition of the act is a gross violation of the right to life, he said before adding that the youth blocks of the CPI had carried out various forms of agitation in the country in the past demanding repeal of AFSPA.
JD(U) president, M Tombi said that his party is strongly against the imposition of the Act.
He lamented that the security forces are doing whatever they feel like doing under cover of the Act, without any consideration of the right to life of the common people.
He further assured that his party will include the demand for repeal of AFSPA in the party’s election manifesto.
NPF representative, Jeson Phiren said that the party is also against the Act.
He said the party will never compromise with the right to life of the people; before appealing to the political parties to fight unitedly against the Act.
MPP vice president M Ojit also said that the regional political parties active in the state need to fight unitedly against the repeal of the AFSPA.
BJP spokesperson Tiken said that the present state government need to take a firm decision on the issue and pass a resolution on this regard to pressurise the centre to repeal the Act.
He further opined on the need for a road map for the political parties to demand the repeal of the Act.
The one day political convention was also attended by representatives of AIYF, APP, CPI (M) and leaders of various civil society organisation of the state.