multiple realities

Yesterday in the class of CAC, some useful discussion took place on the issue of Manipur turmoil in the context of Special Armed Act 1948 (AFSPA). For quite some time Manipur has been witnessed to great insurgency problem in a bid to restore normalcy in the area the govt has continued with Spl. Armed Act and a legislation about 50 years old.
Now it is this Act has triggered a fierce agitation in Manipur.What infuriated the people was the high handiness’ of the army personnel and the rape of Manipuri women . Women in a symbolic mode of opposition to the Act paraded half naked through the streets of Imphal. Manorama Devi , the rape victim unable to get justice has been on fast last several years. Presently she is lying in coma.
Now to evaluate impassionately the much maligned Act. It is in implementation not to terrorise the local people but to crush the insurgent elements , who have created unrest in the area. If some sporadic ignoble acts like one occurring of the case of Manorama Devi not mean that it is all evils. It has rubbed some people the wrong way it has also been largely instrumental in protecting the lives of many more in the area so the onus should be not on abrogating the Act to ensure it’s implementation in the right spirit. Undoubtedly the rape of Monorama Devi was a condemnable act but it is more and aberration than the norm. Against one misdeed are many of good works done by army personnels in the area so far thousand of soldiers have lost their precious lives combating the insurgency in the area. No body takes care to highlight the sacrifice of the army personnel. The entire north eastern region is extremely volatile so stringent Act are the need of the hours to keep India internally secure. No democratic govt. wants to alive this type of Act but when they don’t have any alternative solution then they adopt this sort of measure. (The condition of north-east is more worsen than J&K)

Suman Kumar
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