AFSPA- THE NEW VARIANT OF CONCERN

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 has been a part of the Indian law and order since the colonial rule but under different names. Currently, it is implemented in Jammu and Kashmir and in Northeast states with some exclusions. In simple terms, AFSPA is an act that grants the army special powers to tackle insurgencies to assist the state governments which were incapable of maintaining internal peace.?

Although the AFSPA was implemented under the colonial rule to stop the Quit India Movement but now with the increasing number of fake encounter killings in the AFSPA implemented regions, our governance is no less than the colonial rule. Unlike the British rulers who believed in divide and rule, in independent and democratic India, peace cannot be instilled by making our countrymen stand against each other.

The AFSPA has time and again been criticised for the killing of innocent civilians in the region. The Malon Massacre in Nov’2000, 1994 Fake Assam Encounter, Shopian fake encounter in July’2020 and the recent incident in Nagaland’s Mon district are some of the many cases that have caught public attention but there are still similar incidents that haven’t been discussed and many that have not been reported. The cases that could find a place in the Indian justice system, the hearings took forever to rule out a verdict just like the 1994 fake Assam encounter.?

AFSPA has long acted as the defensive Indian mother who tries to protect her kids from any accusations against them. But honestly, in this entire AFSPA issue, it is not the government or the army that is to be blamed but the act itself is the biggest reason why the army is being criticised.?

With all the heat already going on at the LAC and the continuous issues with Pakistan, India cannot afford any sought of internal insurgency in the form of public going against the security forces. In times when trust can be easily broken, the public defying the army rule in the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir would be the last thing the government would want. Besides India has been a responsible member of the United Nations but because of an act that has violated international law, we are simply digging a trap for ourselves that can later pose an even bigger problem to deal with and not to forget the international shame that would come along.

So, it is high time that our speakers at the centre stop protesting against irrelevant issues and work towards repealing AFSPA and implement ways to mend the relations of the public and the armed forces. Because no peace can be achieved by force, it is the human touch that binds people together and no government jobs or money can replace the pain of a grieving family but it is the guarantee that there wouldn’t be another family grieving over the murder of their loved one in the name of “mistaken identity”.?

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