Imphal, September 05: Manipur Students' Association Delhi (MSAD) organized a convention on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act with special focus on "what needs to be done to carry the struggle Against the AFSPA Forward" on September 4 at JNU City Center from 10 am till 6 pm.

The convention was organized as part of the series of conventions, mass campaigns and dharnas in Delhi in connection with the ongoing movement against AFSPA.

The convention focused on the entire range of the movement as well to direct the course of the struggle to forge different forms of democratic agitation in different parts of India, said a statement.

More than 300 hundred delegates besides 24 speakers participated in the convention.

Delegates expressed their solidarity with the struggle of the people of Manipur at individual and organizational level.

Prominent figures among others included Kumar Sanjay, Prof.BK Roy Burman (Anthropologist and social activist), Biju Naik, Khsiti Goswami, Comrade Prakash Rao; Vijay Singh (activist, Revolutionary Democracy), Peter D'Souza (Center for Studies of Developing Societies), Dr Bhagat Oinam (JNU); Ashirjit Luwang (President, Manipur University Students' Union) Kabita Krishnamurthy (President, All India Students' Association) Gurmit (AIPRF), Th Tarunkumar, Justice Ajit Singh Bains, Prof Sanajaoba Naorem (Dean of Guwahati University), Mona Das (General Secretary, JNSU), Prof Manoranjan Mohanty; Dr Bimol Akoijam (CSDS), Siddharth Varadarajan (The Hindu), Rijwan Quiser (President, Jamia Millia Islami University Teachers Association) Chattisgarh Mukti Morcha, Communist Gadar Party of India, and many other activists, journalists, academicians and people from all walks of life participated at the Convention.

The Convention resolved to jointly fight against the AFSPA and condoled the demises of agitators while strongly condemning the continuing security excesses to foil the agitations.

The brutal killings of Pastor Zamkholet Khongsai and Th Manorama by the Assam Rifles, which triggered the present round of mass agitation in Manipur, is just aother manifestation of atrocities committed by security personnel but who nevertheless are shielded by the special Act, observed the convention.

The people of Manipur, and other regions of the North East feel alienated not only from the army, but also from the rest of India as a result of the fascist repression unleashed against the people of North East, added the statement.

Hailing the daring protest by womenfolk at the gate of 17 AR, MSAD also lamented the uncertain academic scenario following mass participation of students in the scrap AFSPA movement.

The threat of the Union Home Minister of India to the Manipur Chief Minister to suppress the people's movement is an anti-federal and anti-democratic response of the Indian State.

This is an abrogation of the existence of a federal constitution and a multi-national India, MSAD further contended.

It also condemned arrest of hundreds of protestors including women, students, youths and leaders under the National Security Act.

MSAD also decried linking the people's movement to underground organizations as portrayed by both the State and Central Governments.

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