The First USA Symposium on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila held at Harvard University

Boston, USA, 22nd February 2012:

A symposium titled "11 Year Hunger Strike: Irony In The World’s Largest Democracy" was held on the 21st of February, 2012, at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA. The event was jointly organized by The Carr Center For Human Rights Policy at Harvard University, the Harvard India Caucus, and the Kashmir Initiative at the Carr Center. The North American Manipur Association (NAMA), and the European Manipuri Association (EMA) were co-sponsors. Dr. Charlie Clements, Executive Director of the Carr Center For Human Rights Policy, Harvard University, made the welcome remarks and opened the symposium.

The context of the symposium, the very first one held in the United States on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila, was Irom Sharmila’s 11 year long hunger strike to repeal The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA, 1958). Since November 2000, Sharmila, a social activist in Manipur, has been on a hunger strike demanding the repeal of the AFSPA. During this time, the government has kept her in judicial custody, force-feeding her through a nasal tube.

The speakers of the event included Binalakshmi Nepram, Founder of Manipur Women Gun Survivors Network, Babloo Loitongbam, Executive Director Human Rights Alert, Manipur, L. Somi Roy of Hun-tré! International Manipur Projects, Angana Chatterji, Co-Convener of the International People’s Tribunal on Human Rights and Justice, and Pradyot Deb Burman, Chairman and Editor of The Northeast Today, Shillong, India.

Leichombam Erendro Singh, the President of The Harvard India Caucus, and a World Bank Fellow at Harvard University who coordinated the event also moderated the symposium. Researchers and scholars of John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and representatives from the University of California, Berkeley, and several others attended the event, including members of the diaspora from Manipur and India.

The event started out with a historical and cultural background presentation on Manipur by L. Somi Roy. Among other topics, his presentation covered Manipur’s Religions, Arts, Sports, Languages, Ethnic relations, Dance forms, and discussed the current situation in the state. He presented a perspective from Manipur, including its historical and cultural attributes of its civilization.

His presentation was followed by Angana Chatterji, who spoke about AFSPA from the national perspective as it relates to different parts of India, including Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, and parts of the North East Region. She highlighted the prevailing climate of militarization and its consequences. She mentioned the killings of 70,000 people because of the imposition of AFSPA in India-Administered Jammu & Kashmir.

Binalakshmi Nepram gave a brief historical timeline on the role and struggles of Manipuri women in fighting injustice and repression, starting from the first recorded Nupilan, the Women’s War of 1904. She kept the focus of her speech on the humanitarian crisis that has occurred as a result of the imposition of AFSPA in Manipur, especially the effect on women and children. Ms. Nepram also mentioned that the iconic struggle of Irom Sharmila Chanu constitutes a part of the long history of women’s movement in Manipur such as the Nupilan, the Meira Paibis; a legacy that preceded even the feminist movement in the United States and around the world.

Pradyot Deb Burman spoke about the impact of AFSPA on indigenous population of Tripura, another state in the North East Region of India. He made an argument that supporting the movement for the repeal of AFSPA is not an act against the nation, but considered as an honest dialogue to find a domestic resolution; a process of democratic dialogue in India.

Finally, Babloo Loitongbam shared with the audience how Irom Sharmila started her hunger strike after the Massacre in Malom in November of 2000. Elaborating on the democratic resistance against AFSPA since its conception in the Parliament, he emphasized the racial and regional discriminatory dimension of AFSPA, and its institutional and social ramifications. He maintained that AFSPA violates Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, and challenges the rationale of the Act that sanctions the taking of a human life arbitrarily. He also drew attention to the fact that AFSPA violates the universal human rights and international humanitarian laws.

A resolution was taken to form an Initiative based at Harvard for future debate and discussion on issues pertaining to Manipur, and the North East Region of India. The Initiative will primarily focus on research and advocacy for peace and prosperity in the region. The Initiative will work with Governments, Civil Society, and other stakeholders.

NAMA hosted a dinner reception after the symposium, at which, Dr. Charlie Clements was presented with a leiroom scarf, and a book by the late M.K Binodini Devi. Presents to Carr Center also include a hand written note from Irom Sharmila herself and a painting by Wahengbam Robin, one from a series called "Spirit of Sharmila" by artists of Neo-Gen group in Imphal. The video recording of the symposium will be webcast for public viewing on the Carr Center website (http://www.hks.harvard.edu/cchrp/) from [February 23rd, 2012].

For more information: [erendro_singh(at)hks12(dot)harvard(dot)edu]

Read an announcement about this event here