The requirement of AFSPA and its alleged human rights violations have long been a matter of deep contention (“How I was deported from India”, July 1). Yet, if we take a diplomatic view, the government of the day is entitled to take adequate measures to contain any evidence of anti-nationalism. From a humanitarian aspect, it is unjustified as scores of innocent people are affected. As a reader of this paper, I was overjoyed to read such an account and straight from the horse’s mouth.
Dwaipayan Chakraborty,Kolkata
Freedom demands discipline and has its limitations. Journalists and foreign researchers working on human rights in India may rightly bring out rights violations and show that in the shadow of AFSPA, civil rights are being violated, which citizens need to know and read about. But they also need to understand the history and the reasons behind the implementation of such acts. Such rights violations can be stopped only through a collaborative effort of the government and civil society.
Dhruba Jyoti Borah,New Delhi,
I request Christine Mehta to look into reasons why AFSPA is not in force in most parts of India, but only in trouble spots like Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India. Porous borders and dangerous and troublesome neighbours are what make AFSPA relevant in these areas. It is quite natural that when the armed forces handle extremely volatile situations and hostile local populations, rights violations and excessive security measures affecting personal liberty are bound to occur. And to handle such situations, there are well-defined mechanisms that the defence forces follow. The article is an attempt, and with media encouragement, to indulge in Modi-bashing.
Satheesh Kumar R.,Mangaluru
