The Coalition for Repeal of AFSPA,
Bangalore,consisting of student,women and several
human rights organisations held a public meeting on
16.9.04 at H.N. Hall, National College, Basavanagudi
to demand for the withdrawl of the draconian Act from
Manipur and elsewhere.It was attended by over 300
citizens of Banaglore from different walks of life.The
presence of students from Manipur was overwhelming.
The meeting began with Kannada songs by members of
Mahila Jagruthi. It was followed by a patriotic song
sung by a student from Bangalore Manipur
Students' Association.
Video clippings of recent demonstrations and protests
in Manipur were shown next. The clippings revealed the
inhuman torture and harassment of the common people in
Manipur by the security forces. It was indeed shocking
to see the barbaric acts committed by the security
personnel on unarmed protestors.
The first speaker of the evening was Dr. L.Pardesi
Singh,Committe on Human Rights(COHR),Manipur and
Founding Chairman,North-East Committee on Human Rights
(NECOHR). Narrating the history of democratic struggle
in Manipur for the repeal of AFSPA, he described how
the Indian government had resorted to 'divide and
rule' policy by pitting the various ethnic groups in
Manipur against each other. The govt. even resorted to
attacks on human rights activists to break down the
struggle of the people of the North East - Parag Das,
the secretary of NECOHR (which was formed by the
people of North East to unitedly fight against the
draconian laws). was in fact killed in 1997,
allegedly by security personnel.
He mentioned that
since January 2004, there have been atleast 12
incidents where innocent people had been picked up by
the armed forces and then killed in false encounters
and the people of Manipur could not tolerate any more
after the barbaric killing of Manorama. Dr. Singh
expressed wonder as to how the security of India can
be improved by killing the people of Manipur who are
none but Indians. He condemned the labelling of the
protestors as agents of 'terrorists' and claimed that
such labels only helped the Army in using AFSPA to
detain, torture, rape and kill the protesting people.
He strongly protested against government claims that
few jawans had misused the Act; rather, his view was
that Act has been used efficiently by the Army to
clamp down on the democratic struggle.
He informed the
audience that almost 99% of the Manipuri people wanted
the repeal of the Act and said that talks can begin
with central government only after the anti-people and
anti-democratic Act is repealed. Finally, he gave a
call for an united struggle by all democracy-loving
people of India against the fascist policies of the
Indian government.
The next speaker, Ms. Lalitha, editor of Jagruthi,
explaied how rape has been used by the state to put
down struggles in various parts of the country by
attacking women who constitute half the population.
She claimed that rape is a political weapon in the
hands of the upper-class, upper-caste people, used to
subjugate ths struggling masses.
She informed that
although several fact-finding reports have been
brought out exposing such acts committed by the armed
forces on women in areas of conflict in teh country,
the government has not punished the culprits - rather
the silence of the government was a tacit approval of
such acts of torture by the security personnel. She
claimed that AFSPA only gave more teeth to the armed
forces to continue with their barbaric acts.
Professor Bhanu Pratap Das from Peoples Democratic
Forum,Bangalore was the next speaker.He emphasised
that AFSPA violates all accepted norms of human rights
and has no place in civilised society as it gives the
armed forces unlimited power without any
accountability.He referred to the gross human rights
violations that had taken place in Punjab and Kashmir
where this Act had also been imposed.
According to
him,the problem in Manipur is political in nature and
it therefore warrants a political and not military
solution. He said the campaign against AFSPA in
Bangalore had gained momentum and it must be carried
forward.
The last speaker,Mr Dillon,a student from St Joseph's
College,Bangalore highlighted the undemocratic nature
of AFSPA.He said,"it would be understandable if such
an Act had been there in Hitler's Germany,but not in
India." He made a strong case for repealing this Act.
At the end of the meeting,a one minute silence was
observed for all the people of Manipur who have been
the victims of AFSPA.
The meeting was followed by a
very spirited rally.The police did not give permission
for a Meira(bamboo torch)procession,so the protestors
went on a candle light march from National
College,Basvangudi to Minerva circle in the heart of
the city near the Town Hall.
* Organisations: Bangalore Manipuri Student
Association(BMSA),Mahila Jagruthi,Stree Jagruthi
Samiti,Peoples Democratic Forum,PUCL,KVR and others
including individuals.
Pinaki writes for the first time
You can contact him and the Coalition for Repeal of AFSPA at [email protected]
|