Maibam Sharat was the second person in a group of six friends walking past a security post in India when a soldier from an armored car opened fire, injuring his friend Ranbir. Despite pleas for medical help, the troops initially took him to their camp before finally taking him to the hospital four hours later, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries. Sharat, a driver from Nongpok Semai, believes the soldiers may have been acting out of frustration and anger following an attack on their colleagues by militants earlier that evening. Human rights organizations and political parties claim that Ranbir's killing is just one of many instances of military abuses in Manipur, which have been carried out under the protection of the strict federal anti-terror law known as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. This law provides soldiers with virtual immunity from prosecution and has become a major issue as the state prepares to vote in a three-stage election to select a new legislature. The majority of parties appear to agree that the law, which only applies to certain regions of India, should be either abolished or significantly amended. Sovakiran Singh, a legislator from the Heirok constituency where Nongpok Sekmai is located, has stated that if his party comes into power, they will work to repeal AFSPA in the first session of the new legislature. However, it is possible for the central government in New Delhi to overrule the state government and reinstate the law. Singh is hopeful that there will be a response to the pressure from Manipur, where 20,000 people have lost their lives in a separatist rebellion that began in the 1960s. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) grants military personnel extensive authority to search, detain, and eliminate suspected militants even in the absence of an immediate threat. Soldiers can only be prosecuted with approval from the central government, which is rare. This law, enacted in 1958 to address armed separatist movements in northeastern India, is defended by the army as providing essential protection against politically motivated accusations. However, human rights organizations argue that the powers it bestows have created an environment where security forces perpetrate rights violations with impunity, including torture, sexual assault, and murder. They say this has only increased anger and led to more insurgents. Pradip Phanjoubam, editor of the Imphal Free Press daily, described AFSPA as a result of the state's extreme paranoia. A Border Security Force official claimed their soldiers were responding to fire from militants in the Nongpok Sekmai shooting, but few in the hamlet believe this explanation. Manipur, located 1,500 miles (2,400 km) from New Delhi, is one of India's most troubled regions but is often overlooked by the nation. Soldiers are present everywhere in Manipur, where the state has experienced multiple incidents of violence in the past five years due to accusations of soldiers killing innocent people. Despite public 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 New Delhi should focus on a political rather than military solution to address the insurgency in Manipur and bring development to the state. It is uncertain if political parties in Manipur will be able to generate enough pressure for meaningful change. The Congress party, in power in both India and Manipur since 2002, has been indecisive about the AFSPA issue. Sonia Gandhi, the party chief, assured Manipuris that the government is thoroughly considering a report by an expert panel that suggested revisions to the law 18 months ago. However, many Manipuris are still doubtful about any actual change happening.