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Army must stay on in Manipur, anti-terror law must go: Panel |
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A majority of people heard by an official panel reviewing an anti-terror law in Manipur favour scrapping the legislation but want the armed forces to stay in the insurgency-hit State.
Former Law Commission Chairman B.P. Jeevan Reddy, who heads the five-member panel, told reporters that the uniform view of an overwhelming majority of the people he heard was for the Army to keep fighting the insurgents.
“Even the Apunba Lup (an amalgam of 32 Manipuri outfits organising protests against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act) wanted the Army to stay on in Manipur,” he said.
The commission was appointed in November last year to consider amendments or even repeal of the Act which gives sweeping powers to the armed forces to search or detain terror suspects.
Manipur witnessed widespread violent protests following the rape and killing of Manorama Devi allegedly by Assam Rifles soldiers in July last year.
The paramilitary troopers, who function under the command of the Indian Army and hence enjoy immunity from prosecution, had detained Devi under the provisions of the anti-terror law.
“Few of the respondents felt that the problem was not that of law and order but a political one. We will take all these views into consideration before making recommendations to the Government,” Reddy said.
The commission concluded its two-day sitting here on Jan 21. It heard the views of stakeholders, members of the public and students from Manipur. The Home Ministry also made a presentation.
“The Home Ministry outlined the problems it has been facing in maintaining law and order in the State,” an official said.
The commission, which had earlier heard the views of people in Manipur, would again visit the northeast from Feb 7. It would hold sittings in Agartala on Feb 7-8, in Guwahati on Feb 9-10 and in Shillong on Feb 11.
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