IMPHAL, April 15: North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS) has undertaken signature campaign to struggle for the removal of Armed Forces from the North-East, as well as to gather support for revoking of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958.
NEFIS Manipur Unit in a press release said the signature campaign has been started by the State Committees of NEFIS in five places, namely Chandigarh, New Delhi, Gwalior, Assam and Imphal.
NEFIS believes that by denying the right to rule of law, the Indian state has kept North-East people relegated to the status of Second Class citizen in the country that claims itself, to be the world’s largest democracy and therefore, NEFIS activists will also be campaigning for people’s support against AFSPA, it said.
Informing that the forum has also started an online support campaign to voice people’s hatred of the brutal act, it demanded immediate removal of army camp from Manipur University.
The signatures will be submitted to the President of India, along with a memorandum listing the long-standing demands of the struggle against the draconian AFSPA in the North-East, it added.