KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Indian Civil Society will launch an anti-AFSPA campaign from September 21 next month. Hindu scholar and renowned civil society member Swami Agnivesh told CNS that the campaign will be kicked off from Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and through India, the peace loving people and Indian civil society members will stage and organize a non-violent movement against the draconian Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
“It is a bitter truth that despite being one of the greatest democracy in the country, India has been turning out to be a police state where the space for the common people especially civil society members has shrunk and they are being detained even for organizing peaceful protests, “Agnivesh said.
He said that 90 per cent people in India oppose the invoking of AFSPA and yet the Government has implemented this act in Jammu and Kashmir and in North East States. “People are the ultimate source of power and government must respect the sentiments of the people. When people in Kashmir demand the revocation of AFSPA, then it must cease to exist,” he said.
He added that the campaign that will be launched by civil society from New Delhi will be non-violent but an organized one. “We have started invited the like-minded peaceful people and we will go to every part of India to make people aware about the ugly face of AFSPA,” he said adding that the marches will be organized to generate public opinion for the withdrawal of the law from Jammu & Kashmir and the North East states.