Maibam Sharat was the second person in a group of six friends walking past a security post in India when he says a soldier opened fire, injuring his friend Ranbir. The troops, stationed in Manipur to fight militants, initially did not provide medical help, which ultimately led to Ranbir's death from gunshot wounds. Sharat believes the soldiers may have been acting out of frustration and anger from a previous attack by militants. Human rights organizations and political parties are condemning the killing of Ranbir as just one in a series of abuses committed by the military in Manipur, all under the protection of the stringent federal anti-terror law known as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA. This law gives soldiers immunity from prosecution and has become a central issue as the state of 2.6 million people begins voting in a three-stage election to choose a new legislature. Most parties agree that the law, which only applies to certain regions of India, should either be abolished or significantly amended. Sovakiran Singh, a legislator from the Heirok constituency where Nongpok Sekmai is located, has stated that if his party comes to power, they will work to repeal AFSPA in the first session of the new legislature. However, New Delhi has the power to overrule the state government and reinstate the law. Singh is hopeful that the government will take action in response to the pressure from Manipur, where 20,000 people have lost their lives in a separatist rebellion since the 1960s. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) allows troops extensive authority to search, arrest, and eliminate suspected militants even without an immediate threat present. Troops can only be prosecuted with approval from the central government, which is rarely granted. This law was enacted in 1958 to address armed separatist violence in northeast India, and the military argues that it provides essential protection from politically motivated accusations. However, human rights organizations argue that the powers granted by AFSPA have created an environment where security forces can commit rights violations without consequences, such as torture, rape, and murder. They believe that this has only increased anger and led to more insurgents. Pradip Phanjoubam, editor of the Imphal Free Press daily, referred to AFSPA as a result of the state's extreme paranoia. A Border Security Force official stated that soldiers were responding to militant gunfire in the Nongpok Sekmai incident, but residents of the hamlet do not trust his account. Manipur, located 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from New Delhi, is considered one of India's most troubled regions, often overlooked by the nation. Soldiers are present everywhere in Manipur, as the state has experienced multiple instances of violence in the past five years where soldiers were accused of killing civilians, leading to public outrage. Despite protests, there was a slight increase in extra-judicial killings last year, with 18 documented cases, according to Babloo Loitongbam, director of Manipur's Human Rights Alert. Phanjoubam and Loitongbam believe that rather than a military approach, New Delhi should focus on a political solution to address the insurgency in Manipur and bring development to the underdeveloped state. It is uncertain whether political parties in Manipur will be able to exert enough pressure for meaningful change. The Congress party, in power in India and Manipur since 2002, has been indecisive about the AFSPA issue. Sonia Gandhi, the party chief, reassured Manipuris that the government is sincerely considering the recommendations of an expert panel that proposed amendments to the law 18 months ago. However, many Manipuris are still doubtful about any actual change happening.