The All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur (ANSAM) said it “vehemently opposes the continuous arbitrary imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA) by the Government of India particularly in Naga homeland”.
The Naga student body said the extension of AFSPA to the entire state of Manipur as ‘disturbed areas’ excluding 19 police stations in Imphal valley for period of another six months with effect from October 1, 2023 on the pretext of law and order “when we are experiencing a relative peace in Naga areas unlike other parts of the state is very unfortunate and highly questionable”.
The ANSAM, while opposing the extension of the “draconian law AFSPA in Naga homeland”, put on record that, ever since the promulgation of the “said infamous act” Naga people have been experiencing “undeclared war where the innocent Naga villagers were terrorised by the Indian Army even women and children were not spared”.
The ANSAM further alleged that the Naga people have been terribly affected by the torrential brutalities unleashed by the Indian security forces with the impunity power sanctioned by this savage Act. The ANSAM also said innocent Naga people were used as an object of soft target on the pretexts of maintaining law and order.
“The act is not merely a brutalisation of security forces but legitimisation of violence which is draconian in nature, anti-people in spirit and a cross violation of human rights. Such devilish law should not have any place in this modern era,” it added.
The ANSAM then said Nagas are peace loving people and have been maintaining peace and harmony in all the “Naga homeland” since the signing of Indo-Naga Ceasefire in 1997 which paved a way to signing of the Framework Agreement between the Government of India and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) on August 3, 2015, “recognising the unique history and situations of the Nagas and both the entities have committed to start a new relationship based on sharing of sovereign power, but the blatant and continuous imposition of AFSPA in Naga homeland negates the spirit of Indo-Naga peace process which is at the highest level and reflects the insincerity on the part of Government of India in resolving the longest political issue in the southeast Asia”.
The ANSAM then implored on the Government of India as a nation of the largest democracy to uphold the principles of democracy, justice and human rights by repealing the “contentious” AFSPA, 1958, and expedite the Indo- Naga peace talks for logical conclusion in the true spirit of August 3, 2015, Framework Agreement recognizing the Naga flag, constitution and integration as an inalienable right of the Nagas to usher in an enduring peace in the Northeast region.
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