Mukul asks Centre to study M’laya anti-insurgency strategies and repeal AFSPA

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaDecember 7, 2021

All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) legislature party leader Mukul Sangma on Tuesday asked the Government of India to take up a case study on the strategies adopted by Meghalaya in dealing with the problem of insurgency and terrorism and accordingly withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the entire North East region.

The former Chief Minister was speaking at the sidelines of the candlelight vigil organized by the party in solidarity with the bereaved family members of the 13 civilians who were killed by Indian Armed forces in Mon district of Nagaland.

The vigil held at Khyndailad was also attended by AITC state president Charles Pyngrope and other party MLAs.

Condemning the firing incident, Sangma questioned the need of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA).

“If the state government is capable of dealing with the problem of militancy insurgency and terrorism by itself, without having to take recourse to this draconian law, I don’t find any reason for any state to actually have this particular law to be operational in any part of the state or any part of the country,” he said.

The AITC leader said Meghalaya has demonstrated in dealing with terrorism and insurgency in a manner that should be probably taken up for a case study by the Government of India.

He added that on number of occasions, the then state government during the internal security meeting convened by the Government of India, have always shared its concerns, experiences and also strategies in respect of dealing with the problem of law & order related to insurgency and terrorism.

Stating that the people of Northeast understand how complex it is to deal with the problem of terrorism and insurgency, Sangma said “but Meghalaya has demonstrated its capability without having to resort to adopting this draconian law.”

“I think this is something which must be taken cognizance of by Government of India and look at all the possibilities of dealing with insurgency and other problems related to terrorism in the right perspective without having to resort to this draconian law,” he further asserted.

When asked, the former chief minister said that there is no reason why there should not be a political will to withdraw the AFSPA from the region.

“(This is because) there is no single way of dealing with this kind of problem but as I have said it is a complex problem and it is required to be dealt with after understanding the whole complexity of the problem and have a multi-pronged not just one action in isolation,” he said.

Meanwhile, the AITC leader also urged all the authorities concerned that include the state government of Nagaland and government of India to ensure justice to the victims.

“It will be expected from the authorities concerned under the government of India and the state government concerned that all the measures needed to be taken to ensure that justice is done in the right perspective,” he said.

Sangma also appealed to all the people of the state and the rest of the country to ensure that the sense of oneness, sense of togetherness prevails among all the citizens of this great nation.