Draconian Law

Times of India Editorial | Oct 24, 2011, 12.00AM IST

Jammu & Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullahhas rightly called for the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from certain areas of his state. The emergency law, which was imposed in the light of militancy in Kashmir and continues to be in place in all the seven northeastern states, faces a groundswell of resentment. Irom Sharmila's decade-long hunger strike exemplifies the criticism that the AFSPA is the single biggest reason for excesses by army personnel in these areas.

It is true that the defence ministry and the army have urged a cautious approach and argued that security personnel cannot be expected to fight terrorism with their hands tied. However, according to the Justice Jeevan Reddy committee report, the AFSPA can be replaced by an updated version of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act that takes into account security considerations and guarantees protection against abuse of power. In any case, the primary responsibility for maintaining law and order is with the police.

In Jammu & Kashmir the police force is in need of appropriate training and equipment commensurate with ground realities, whereas the northeastern states have already achieved a significant degree of stability where the local police can take up greater security responsibilities. It`s time to think beyond AFSPA now.