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Dimapur, Jan. 2 (EMN): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has condemned and denounced the extension of the “draconian and unconstitutional” Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Nagaland for another six months.
“The NSF is appalled that a peaceful state like Nagaland is painted a picture of chaos and lawlessness by the aforementioned notification, as the world at large is witness to the fact that Nagaland is not what it is made to look by the ill intended notification of the central government.
“The federation is uncompromisingly of the opinion that the extension of AFSPA is not for the maintenance of law and order in the state but only a diabolic attempt of the central government to further the suppression of the Naga people through militarisation by encouraging the numerous abuses and serious human rights violations by the armed forces which has been ongoing over many years,” read a statement from the federation.
It questioned the “overarching approach of the central government in extending the inhumane Act”, reasoning that ‘law and order’ is a subject matter of the state government.
“Further, the NSF hereby reiterates its long standing view that AFSPA is violative of the constitution as it infringes upon the various fundamental rights of the citizens and that the bad law must be re-pealed altogether.
Furthermore, the central government must realise that India is a democracy in which the armed forces are supposed to be subject to civilian control and that abuses by the armed forces while being shielded by AFSPA only fuel public anger, permitting militant groups to flourish and putting soldiers at greater risk,” read the statement.