Strongly Condemns the undemocratic forces who attacked AFSPA protestors at Delhi
- Office of the Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA ( Group) -

New Delhi, Oct 19:

Pamplet given to the AFSPA protestors

Office of the Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA ( Group)
19th October'2011
New Delhi

Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA ( Group) Strongly condemns the undemocratic forces who attacked and thrown stones, tomatoes and ink on the gathering and to the procession that started from the Arts Faculty main date. The group called 'Aam Hindustany' disrupted the procession. The police was literally looking at the individuals being attacked without taking any preventive action.

Instead of arresting the group who attacked the procession, the people who were a part of the peaceful procession were arrested, including 10 of the delegates who are part of the Jan Karwan, a rally from Srinagar to Imphal. Around 100 people were detained and arrested and taken to the police station for questioning.

Protestors at Delhi on October 19 2011

This reception and procession was organised by the Save Democracy Repeal AFSPA ( group) to welcome the initiative by the Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign. This program was organized as part of the ongoing struggle to repeal AFSPA. The organization had organized a public demonstration on 11th Sept'11 as a black day to signify 53 years of AFSPA rule in the N-E states. Subsequently a 25th Sept candle light march was organized to take the campaign forward.

Next a big public campaign was decided for the 2nd October, Gandhi Jayanti as a peaceful protest against AFSPA, to help instate democracy in all states of India. The campaign was taken to a university wise scale covering all the colleges, institutes and universities of Delhi and thus gaining a large student and common mass appeal.

A large gathering of around 700 people gathered peacefully to speak against AFSPA. Seeing the chord the campaign has struck in Delhi and other states, we decided to conduct an All-India Fast and demonstration on 5th November to commemorate 11 years of Sharmila's fast and the 53 yrs long struggle of the people oppressed by this draconian law.

The mission of the campaign is to help instate democracy in all states of India. This struggle is not against the army or armed forces as an institution but against the impunity they have been ascribed by the state. This struggle will help to restore the reputation of the military institution. This act is a clear indication of misusing armies in the civil population.

This incidence today, on the 19th of October, marked by strong opposition from "Aam Hindustani' group comes up as a sign of worry as these individuals are not aware of the ill-effects of the law and neither the oppression and atrocities these individuals has on N-E face. This attitude rather than dampening our spirit actually strengthens it, giving the group much more enthusiasm and zeal to take the issue forward by uniting the common masses and increasing awareness on the policy of the state –AFSPA.

We shall continue our mission forward, undeterred by these acts of weakness and without any worry, in the face of all opposition, and work towards helping instate democracy, to bring about an environment of justice, peace and equality by constitutional and democratic means.

With regards,

Seram Rojesh
Birju Sammom
Suhela Kapoor
Save Democracy Repal AFSPA group