Convention on repeal AFSPA at New Delhi
Last Date : 1st November 2015
In the series of solidarity Nationwide Protest to Repeal AFSPA to mark 15 Years of Hunger Strike of Irom Sharmila
Venue: Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi
Date & Time: 1st Nov 2015, 2 to 5 PM
Speakers:
Neingulo Krome (Secretary General, Naga Peoples’ Movement for Human Rights)
Babloo Loitongbam (Human Rights Activist from Manipur)
Swami Agnivesh (Activist, Spiritual leader)
Prof. Nandini Sundar (Activist, Writer & Professor at Delhi School of Economics)
Ashok Agrwaal (Lawyer, Author- In Search of Vanished Blood)
Tapan Bose (Activist, Filmmmaker & Head of South Asia Forum for Human Rights)
Ramratan Chatterjee (Social Activist, Columnist & Author-In the Valley of Kashmir Under White Terror)
Prof Deepti Priya Mehrotra (Academician, Author- Irom Sharmila’s biography Burning Bright)
Representatives from other Organisations
Irom Sharmila, a Repeal AFSPA crusader in Imphal, Manipur is completing 15 years of her hunger protest and will enter in 16th year of her hunger strike on 2nd November. She is continuously raising her demand through peaceful way of her fast, but state has ignored her demand and even did its best to suppress her voice. She is under arrest under section 309 of IPC with charges of attempt to suicide that is completely against her objective.
Irom Sharmila was just 28 years old when she had started her fast with her hope in democracy. Now she is 43 years old, all her life behind the bars, just for her crime to sit peacefully and demand to Repeal AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Forces Powers Act), a special act that empowers armed forces to operate with extreme impunity. This act has resulted thousands of serious human rights violations including fake killings and rapes in states of north east region (through AFSPA 1958) of India and in J&K (through AFSPA, 1990). Despite all the demands from national and international human rights organizations and even from political parties and state leaderships, this act has not been repealed yet.
On completion of 15 years of her hunger protest, we are observing a nationwide joint protest where people and organizations in various states are registering their voice to support cause of Irom Sharmila. In this series of solidarity, we are organizing a Convention on Repeal AFSPA at New Delhi on 1st November to raise voice, to analyse and update about cases pending before judiciary and government and to take future course of action.
We invite your esteemed media group to cover this convention and to bring suppressed voices of people on the front.
Organisers
Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign (SSSC), Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Students Islamic Organisation (SIO), Bonded Labour Liberation Front, Just Peace Foundation (JPF), Forum Asia, Human Rights Alert
* This Press Release was sent to e-pao.net by Ravi Nitesh who can be contacted at ravinitesh(aT)gmail(dot)com
This Press Release was posted on October 31 2015
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