The Manipur Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on Saturday demanded an emergency cabinet sitting to remove the “Disturbed Area” status from Manipur, as it is the initial step to repeal AFSPA from the whole state of Manipur.
What is the reason behind not removing the “Disturbed Area” tag from the state when Chief Minister N Biren himself declared on many occasions that the law-and-order situation in the state is stable? questioned MPCC working president K Meghachandra while speaking to the media at the Congress Bhawan in Imphal West.
“Removing the ‘Disturbed Area’ tag is just a one-minute discussion of the cabinet, if the state government’s stand is very clear,” he said, citing the lifting of AFSPA from seven Assembly segments of Manipur during the Congress regime.
Meghachandra also lamented that CM Biren was not giving a clear-cut assurance and standing of pressing the central government for the removal of AFSPA when chief ministers of Nagaland and Meghalaya have started raising their voices for the removal of AFSPA from Northeast.
On the other hand, the NPP who are in alliance with the BJP government in Manipur are remaining a silent spectator instead of pressing their alliance for sitting a cabinet for the removal of “disturbed area” tag, when the NPP national president is protesting against AFSPA. The same also goes with NPF, he added.
He also recalled the recent Mon firing incident that took place in Nagaland and other infamous incident that took place in Manipur such as Heirangoithong massacre, Operation Bluebird (Oinam massacre), Makokchung massacre, RIMS firing, Malom massacre and others where the armed forces were shielded in the name of AFSPA.
“If AFSPA is not repealed, we cannot confirm that such killing in the name of AFSPA will not take place in the future,” he added.
The working president also pointed out that the Manipur Human Rights Commission had already recommended the state government for the removal of AFSPA from the state and it is also the wish of all the political parties, CSOs and the general public.
AFSPA is implemented only in the Northeast though other bigger states have more UGs and naxalites and there is no history of open firing to the civilians of bigger states by the army, he pointed out adding, “It clearly shows that the central government considered the people of Northeast as a second-class citizen.”
“AFSPA is un-democratic. It is a draconian law which is hated by the entire people of Manipur,” he said, asking the state government to immediately act against it considering all the facts.
