| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) dates back to 1958
when it was passed by the Indian Parliament to quell the Naga rebellion
in a so-called disturbed area. Later it was extended to the states
of Assam, Manipur, Tripura, parts of Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh
and later to Jammu and Kashmir in 1990. This Act is a legacy of a
colonial power. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance, 1942,
was used by the British to quell dissent during the Second World War.
But even before that it was used as an instrument of repression which
led to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre. It is ironic that a free country
would be waging a war against its own people using all forms of
brutality to secure the nation-building agenda of the State. Why else
would you use the military for an internal rebellion?
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