Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 18 2008:
Referring to the two bills passed by the Lok Sabha yesterday on setting up of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Bill, the Apunba Lup remarked that the two bills has no reference to conflict afflicted State of Manipur.
Incidentally, the two Bills were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a mass relay hunger strike has been launched in the State in solidarity to Irom Sharmila who has been on fast unto death stir demanding repeal of AFSPA 1958 from all over Manipur.
The newly amended UAPA has provisions for elongating detention period to 180 days from the current 90 days, seizing, freezing and attaching financial assets of any individual suspected to be involved in any terrorist activity.
Talking to media persons, Apunba Lup functionary Oinam Bikramjit, nonetheless, said that it would look into the provisions of the UAPA and take up necessary movements with the people accordingly.
Executive director of Human Rights Alert (HRA) Babloo Loitongbam observed that the bills will not bear any relevancy in the North East region, particularly Manipur.
Reminding that people of Manipur have been demanded complete withdrawal of the draconian AFSPA from all ever the State, Babloo noted that one or two people are killed on almost daily basis in alleged fake encounters by security forces.
Though AFSPA was imposed to fight insurgency in the State, the number of armed groups have mushroomed in the State since its imposition in addition to rising cases of rampant human rights violation including extra-judicial killings, rape, molestation of innocent women allegedly perpetrated by security forces.
Managing trustee of the newly founded Just Peace Foundation, Irom Singhajit who is also the elder brother of Irom Sharmila urged upon the Govt of India to scrap AFSPA which is allegedly racial and repressive to the innocent people of Manipur before passing any bill to fight terrorism.