On 11 October, a team of leaders of Manipur Peoples' Party led by Dr L Chandramani Singh, had an audience with His Excellency Dr SS Sidhu, the Governor of Manipur.

I was a member of that team. After the initial introduction of all us by Dr Chandramani, the MPP president, we settled down for talks.

Dr Chandramani pleaded that Irom Chanu Sharmila had undertaken fast unto death since 2nd November 2000, when ten innocent lives were killed due to firing by personnel of Assam Rifles at Malom.

He urged that since His Excellency had good rapport with the President of India and also with the Prime Minister, he could kindly influence them and repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act (Assam and Manipur) 1958 as recommended by Jeevan Reddy Committee Report on AFSPA and save the life of our Irom Lady Sharmila.

The Governor replied that he would do so whenever he goes to Delhi. That was very kind of him.

Then I was told to speak, I never had an interaction with our Governor, since I am a lone type of person. I do not hang around the Bungalow of Chief Minister or at the Manipur Secretariat office. I am always miles away from Raj Bhavan.

The only occasion when I had a glimpse of our Governor was at a function of Manipur Public Service Commission when Dr Sidhu was the chief guest and I was in president of that function.

It was a casual 'How-are-you' - type of interaction and was not a serious one. Moreover, the MPSC function started the moment His Excellency arrived and there was no time to indulge in idle gossip.

I spoke to the Governor on this 11 October meeting that the main lacuna of AFSPA was lack of accountability for all acts of commission/ omission by State agencies. In other words, State terrorism was accepted officially and legally.

No personnel of Armed Forces (Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, MR, State Police etc) could be made accountable. No courts of India, including the Supreme Court can issue summons to even a rifleman without permission from Ministry of Defence or Home Affairs, Govt of India.

They are immune to the laws of the land and are allowed to go berserk. His Excellency replied that they conduct their own courts of Inquiry and punish the guilty.

To this, I replied that I was a soldier and commanded an independent military unit in 1965-68 at Chakabama, Zakhama and Dimapur and our on Military Courts of Inquiry were perfunctory in nature. It as just a paper-eye-wash.

Then the discussion went to other members of the delegation. When my final chance to speak again came up, I said that the litmus test of efficacy of any law, was to see if the law was able to fulfil the purpose it was intended to perform.

AFSPA was introduced in India to curb terrorists who endanger State administration. It failed.

Also I pointed out that Anti-Defection Law in its original form was full of lacuna. Now, any defection, singly or collectively attracts disqualification. Defection is almost stopped.

Limiting the size of Council of Ministers has stabilized ministries. The Governor nodded in agreement and actually remarked that the stability of the Ibobi Govt depended on those two laws.

Then, I finished my argument by saying that AFSPA, had achieved in raising the level of insurgency rather then curbing it. The law has not achieved its goal.

Therefore, this failed law must go as early as possible, and that it should be replaced by a more humane, people-friendly law, in a democratic India.