Peace forum pleased by removal of AFSPA

Dimapur, April 24 (EMN): The North East Dialogue Forum has welcomed the Centre’s decision to revoke the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 from Meghalaya with effect from April 1. A press release from the forum on Tuesday stated that such revocation of the AFSPA has been a ‘long felt need.’ The decision taken by the Union Home Ministry and the state government was ‘most welcomed and relieving, after the 27 long years,’ it added. It would be ‘more than happy’ when this ‘draconian law’ is totally removed from India’s statute book, the forum stated. All the states and its citizens of the country must not be looked upon as the ‘enemies of the state.’ In a democratic country, such ‘army rule cannot co-exist and co-administer with the civilian,’ the press release stated. The forum appreciated the Supreme Court’s decisions of ‘probing cases of army killings in the areas where the AFSPA is in force.’ “Today, it’s the people of Meghalaya who are breathing in relief. Tomorrow, it should be people in remaining parts of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur, in whole of Nagaland and Jammu & Kashmir,” it stated.