AFSPA : Agatha K. Sangma demanded repeal

•Mahabahu Desk

AFSPA

Syria: Decade of brutal war left nearly 307,000 civilians dead

June 29, 2022

National People’s Party (NPP) MP Agatha Sangma demanded repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in the Lok Sabha on 4th February,2022, highlighting the example of the incident in Nagaland, where 14 innocent people killed by the Army.

Speaking during the Motion of Thanks to the President for his address to both Houses of Parliament, Ms. Sangma raised the demand again as she had raised during the Winter Session of Parliament in 2021.

Stating herself as “representing the North–East states in general” she said : “I would request AFSPA be repealed in connection with North East”.

“There was an incident that happened in Nagaland in December last year where a lot of innocent lives were lost and it was most unfortunate,” she said. In her speech during the winter session last year, she had referred to AFSPA as the “elephant in the room” that needed to be address.

Ms Sangma also demanded that Garo and Khasi languages be included in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. She said, “Since this is 50 years of our statehood, it will be very symbolic and historic if the Central government accepts the long-pending demand for including the Garo and Khasi languages in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.”

She reiterated her demand that the GOI give up plans to increase the production of palm oil by encouraging, especially in the North East, the growing of oil palm. “The North East has 23% of India’s forest cover, and it can act as a carbon sink for India, instead of becoming a hub for oil palm,” she said asking the government to rethink the plan.