The Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (AFSPA) has been never been able to resolve problem of insurgency in the north eastern region, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Friday.
"The Armed Forces (Special Power) Act (AFSPA) has been never been able to resolve problem of insurgency in the north eastern region. Insurgency is a socio-economic problem but not a military problem. Only socio-economic process can resolve the problem and using forces will only make it worst,” Sangma said.
The NPP chief was addressing a ‘Youth Conclave’ organised by National People’s Youth Front (NPYF) at Patsoi, Imphal West.
Sangma said, "Youths who are strayed in the wrong way are still Indians and someone’s brother and sister. However, by using Armed Forces we are making them enemies".
He further said NPYF being a youth wing of NPP needs to realise that such kind of policies are making things worse.
The Meghalaya Chief Minister assured that as a leader of the NPP, he will continue to press the central government to completely repeal AFSPA from the entire northeastern states.
Noting unemployment as one of the factors giving rise to myriad issues, the Meghalaya CM suggested entrepreneurship as key to resolving it to a large extent. “Youths should know that they should not be job seekers but job givers”, he added.
The CM said entrepreneurship will be one of the important points in the manifesto of the NPP in the upcoming election.
“70 per cent of voters in the country are under the age of 45 years. If the power of youths are utilised in right direction a developmental change in the nation can be brought easily,” said Sangma.
NPP MLAs, Y Joykumar; L Jayentakumar and N Kayisii also attended the programme except Letpao Haokip.
