[Reader-list] Fwd SOLIDARITY (from Yengkhom Jilangamba)

[Iram Ghufran]

Subject: Fwd: SOLIDARITY
From:Yengkhom Jilangamba <cziellah at yahoo.co.in>
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 11:17:12 +0000 (GMT)
To: reader-list at sarai.net

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

SOLIDARITY FAST
against
AFSPA, MILITARIZATION AND IMPUNITY
23rd November
at  Jantar Mantar, 11.30 a.m. onwards

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is one of the most 
draconian legislations that the Indian Parliament has passed in its 
history. The Act violates basic parametres of human rights law by giving 
the security forces wide-ranging powers including special impunity, and 
has ennabled grave human rights abuses, including enforced 
disappearances, rape, torture, and killing on mere suspicion, among many 
others, in the North East and Jammu and Kashmir.
Based on a colonial ordinance this Act stands as an emblem of the 
'security perspective' of the Indian State, wherein the multitude of 
struggles for autonomy and greater democratic and civil rights are 
viewed as 'law and order' and 'security' problems, which can be managed 
by an ever-increasing deployment of armed forces.
The Act prevails as the most draconian face of militarisation in the 
North East and Kashmir. It has become a powerful tool of the security 
forces to suppress all kinds of democratic dissent in these regions. Not 
only AFSPA, but also other black laws have engendered a climate of 
impunity in the North East and Kashmir with security forces given the 
license to perpetuate the most barbaric acts without any fear of being 
held accountable for their actions. 
The people's movement against Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, 
(AFSPA) has been continuing since the time of its very imposition in 
1958. The protests have garnered some public attention since Irom 
Sharmila's ongoing hunger strike since 2000, and the brutal killing of 
Ms. Manorama Devi by the Assam Rifles in 2004 in Manipur, which sparked 
people to come out on the streets in the North East and other areas to 
demand the repeal of this repressive act. As an outcome of the people's 
uproar, the Government of India agreed to have a committee, headed by 
Justice Jeevan Reddy, to review the AFSPA.
The Government of India has refused to disclose the contents of this 
committee's report for more than a year and half. Ironically, the leaked 
copy of the report has nothing substantial for public information except 
its recommendation for the 'Repeal of the Act'.
The Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other black laws of its ilk are 
symbols of the Indian State's continued neglect of political solutions 
to the questions of self-determination and autonomy in the regions 
affected, desecration of democracy and systematic resort to increased 
militarisation to curb all such struggles. The time calls for people 
everywhere to voice, in unison, their opposition to AFSPA, impunity, 
militarization, and the pervasive and continued undermining of democracy 
in North East region and Jammu and Kashmir.
We call on all concerned individuals and People's Movements, Students, 
Women's groups, Human Rights groups to join in support of Sharmila and 
those people in NE and Kashmir living under the most repressive and 
undemocratic conditions. Impunity occurs now not just in the margins of 
North East and JK, but also increasingly all over the country, from 
Chattisgarh to Orissa to Kerala, and we must collectively and strongly 
oppose it.

Join us in demanding from the Indian State:
 The repeal of AFSPA and all black laws in North East and Kashmir.
 An end to the climate of impunity in North East, Kashmir and other 
regions.
 A stop to the recurrent violation of its citizens' democratic and human 
rights by means of military might.
 Expedite investigation into human rights abuses and book security 
personnel responsible for such acts. 

CAMPAIGN AGAINST AFSPA, MILITARISATION AND IMPUNITY [The Other Media, 
Forum for Democratic Initiative, NPMHR, North East Peoples' Initiative, 
Indian Social Institute, Vidyajyoti, National Alliance of Peoples 
Movement, Koch Rajbanshi Pancha,] *

Kindly Endorse Your Organisational Participation:
 
Contact: Ravi Hemadri (9871415186), Saurabh Bhattacharjee (9891022459), 
K. Onil (9818781767),