Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 31 2009:President of the Bodo Women's Justice Forum has demanded that the infamous Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 should be scrapped totally from the statutes of the country.
Besides being abused as an instrument for rampant human rights violation, AFSPA has become a threat to the country's integrity, she asserted.
Speaking to media persons at the office of Human Rights Initiative, Manipur at Wangkhei Thangapat, An-jali Daimari observed that although the Government of India imposed AFSPA in the Northeastern states primarily to suppress insurgency movements, the Act has become a source of numerous civil movements against the state and security forces as it has become an instrument for human rights violation.
Continued imposition of such draconian Act with the resultant numerous cases of human rights violation has become a cause for challenging the integrity of India, Anjali said.
Demanding that AFSPA should be repealed immediately, Anjali said that Irom Chanu Sharmila's nine year long fast was not some drama.
Anjali said that she was glad to see that several organisations and people have been undertaking various forms of campaigns in solidarity to Sharmila.
She said that she fully supports the anti-AFSPA movement.
Anjali said that she and other representatives of the Bodo Women's Justice Forum were here in Manipur on a three day visit to show their solidarity to Sharmila's cause and to meet the Iron Lady personally.
"After leaving Manipur, we would highlight the struggle of Sharmila in different parts of the North East including Assam", Anjali said.