Guwahati: The Northeast Students Organisation (NESO) along with the All Assam Student Union (AASU) staged a protest on Thursday demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFPSA) in Assam’s Guwahati.
The protests have been called in light of the Nagaland firing incident in which 14 civilians were killed during an anti-insurgency operation by the security forces. NESO is the largest student body in the northeast.
It should be noted that the armed forces have been operating in the Northeast with impunity, and they have been emboldened by the imposition of a draconian law known as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 (AFSPA), which the Government of India has not only refused to repeal but has decided to keep in place despite a massive people’s movement calling for its repeal, a NESO release stated.
Garo Students’ Union (GSU), All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU), All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU), Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF), All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), and Naga Students’ Federation are among the eight student organizations represented by NESO.