NE students launch fresh stir against AFSPA

ejazr

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http://www.lawetalnews.com/NewsDetail.asp?newsid=3866

The North East Students' Organisation (NESO), the banner organization of all the major students' unions in the seven Northeastern states – Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Mizoram and Nagaland, has launched a fresh region wide agitation to press for its demand to repeal the 'draconian' Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act ,1958. This Act provides sweeping powers to security forces fighting insurgents in the region and allegedly precipitated many cases of human rights violation and aberrations in the region for over five decades.

The NESO has started its fresh agitation in solidarity with Manipur's iron lady, Irom Sanu Sharmila who has been on hunger strike for over ten years demanding scrapping of the AFSPA. The activists of the NESO would wear black cloth on their mouth to register protest against the continuation of the AFSPA in the region to protest the central government's inaction defying the mass protests against the Act. As part of the first phase of the fresh agitation, NESO activists staged a massive demonstration here on Monday under banners having pictures of Irom Sharmila.

"The Government of India which buckled under the hunger-strike resorted to by Gandhian leader Anna Hazare against corruption, has adopted a grossly discriminatory attitude towards Manipur's iron lady Irom Sharmila on fast since November 2, 2000 demanding scrapping of the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 that has been in force in the North East for about five decades," stated NESO chairman Dr Samujjal Bhatacharrya.

The NESO has expressed its anguish over the Centre's lukewarm attitude towards fasting Sharmila and termed it 'inhuman' and lambasted the Centre for adopting an overall attitude of treating the people of North East as second class citizens of the country.
NESO chairman Dr Samujjal Bhattacharrya and secretary general Gunjum Haider jointly said, "The New Delhi government, national level political leaders, bureaucrats in the Centre, the national media and prominent intellectuals of the country have failed to take proper notice of Sharmila's unique non-violent struggle because they believe that there is no Indian beyond Kolkata. We are not going to tolerate such discriminatory attitude."

"Nowhere in the world a lady has been on fast for more than a decade for the causes of her fellow people and the Government of India is keeping her under judicial custody in a hospital in Imphal. It is outrageous," Dr Bhattacharrya said.

Sharmila, who has been on fast, has been arrested repeatedly and detained under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (attempt to commit suicide). She is being kept under judicial custody in a hospital.
 

Oracle

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Ah! Not gonna happen. Terrorists are still in a little control because of AFSPA. Once withdrawn, Army operations will cease to exist.
 

Virendra

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This isolation should come to an end. It is not healthy for our country.
But again, army and its operations are not at the root of this isolation or its continuance.
Steps have to be taken at all levels. Perhaps army should take Kashmir like innovative measures in NE as well.
People should not pay such dear price for peace and order to be maintained but sending the army out packing now is just not the solution.


Regards,
Virendra
 

Rage

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It's time to do away with this law and replace it with another one or water it down completely. A show of faith is required, especially if ULFA and company are on the run. It's not fitting for a democratic nation to have such laws, especially when it is tackling its problems through diplomatic-channels and is having success in resolving them.

This first clause particularly, applicable to "disturbed" areas, is so draconian I'm surprised we still even have it:

"Fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law" against "assembly of five or more persons" or presumed to be "in possession of deadly weapons."

The law itself is a rallying point for the disgruntled with the system. If you have to do it, do it extrajudicially since you do it extrajudicially anyway, but not under the aegis of any law.
 

Oracle

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/\/\/\ There is more to it than what meets the eye. AFSPA has been quite successful in breaking down the logistics and moral of NE terrorist groups. It has kept NE India a lot saner, to the point that some states have not declared independence or have been gobbled by China. Yes! there are instances of over zealous actions on the local populace, but doing away with AFSPA is not the solution. The law needs to be filtered a bit, just a little.

I have talked about it in previous threads. So will leave it here.
 

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