IESM: Illogical to amend AFSPA

Central Chronicle
By Our Staff Reporter
Bhopal, June 25:
Stressing that it will be ''totally illogical'' to either repeal or amend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), an Indian Army veteran opines that while the military leadership by and large has been exemplary it is the political leadership supported by bureaucracy that has failed the country.
''At first stage the government deploys the military to deal with insurgences or other internal threats and then expects them to face the bullets with their hands tied at the back,'' laments Major-General (Retd) Satbir Singh, Sena Medal, who is Vice-Chairman of the Indian Ex-Servicemen Movement.
Despite opposition from the Army and confronted with reports of fake encounters, the Centre is planning to go ahead with certain amendments in the AFSPA that includes handing over of personnel in case of extra-judicial killings to civilian authorities.
''This is highly inhuman. Where are the proponents of human rights? Is a soldier not human? And therefore, has no rights? Why thousands of soldiers have been used as cannon fodder due to reasons of the apathy of the bureaucrat-politician nexuses for not providing them the wherewithal, equipment, weapon systems, clothing etc to appropriately deal with the internal and external threats,'' the veteran said.
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