GUWAHATI: The Meghalaya High Court has asked the Centre to consider enforcing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958 in Garo Hills region of the state which is in the grip of a serious law and order problem with a spurt in abduction and killing by militants. The order comes amid an intense campaign by human rights groups for repeal of AFSPA in the Northeast.A full bench of the high court comprising Chief Justice Uma Nath Singh, Justice TNK Singh and Justice SR Sen directed the principal secretary in Prime Minister’s Office to place this order before the Prime Minister for perusal and consideration.The court said, “The central government can enforce Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 for the purpose of deployment of armed forces in the aid of civil administration in order to restore public order and maintain the law and order. Such deployment of armed forces of the Union would be only for the purpose of enabling the civil authorities in the state to deal with the situation effectively so that there is a regime of rule of law.”The proscribed militant outfit Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) has demanded withdrawal of counter insurgency operation for release of abducted block development officer Jude Rangku T. Sangma.Intelligence Bureau official Bikash Kumar Singh and trader Kamal Saha were recently killed by another militant outfit, A'chik Songna An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK).According to the state police, the insurgents abducted 87 persons for ransom this year till October 31, including 25 civilians, 27 businessmen, 25 employees of private sector, five government employees and five teachers.The bench observed that even under the ideal federal system of the United States of America, the President can deploy armed forces under certain circumstances including terrorist activities in the states.“In the instant case, as the police and civil authorities, despite the best of their efforts, are not able to control the incidents of kidnapping for ransom and killings on non-fulfillment of illegal demands and the native population is totally exposed to the influence of militancy and as the funds allocation by the central government has not helped in ameliorating the decline of law and order, we have no option but to direct the central government to consider the use of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, in the Garo Hills area and deployment of armed and paramilitary forces to control the situation in the aid of but certainly not under the command of civil and police authorities till life becomes normal and the incidents of rampant kidnapping and killing totally stop,” the order said.