With reference to Ajai Shukla’s article “Reassure the army on AFSPA” (Broadsword, December 13), if the Armed Forces Special Powers Act protects army personnel from the consequences of abuses against innocent and unarmed civilians, one wonders what will happen to the legal point that no one is above the law. In fact, such draconian rules are a reflection of the government’s administrative failure to resolve the issues that make the people of the region discontented. The truth is that despite being in existence for many years, AFSPA had not yielded worthwhile results in tackling insurgency in the north-east. So there is no question of keeping AFSPA alive. As for Jammu and Kashmir, only strong and mature politics will go a long way in resolving the issues that are plaguing the state.
P Senthil Saravana Durai, Hyderabad
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