[Reader-list] Fwd: repeal afspa - protest on 11th october 2006 at 11am at ITO

[sridevi panikkar]

Do please send on...
*
**Repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958*
** *A Call for Your Participation*



    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 movement has been historically fought by many struggling communities. It
is important to remember that when the Act was enacted for the first time in
1958, many regions where the Act was imposed did not have a significant
manifestation of armed struggle. Moreover, this Act of 1958 is the retention
of a colonial law (to suppress Quit India Movement-1942) in 'post-colonial'
India. The inherent colonial character of independent India is manifested in
the continuance defining the frontiers as politico-military regions only.

 The resistance against AFSPA is imminent in the wake of prolonged
experiences of involuntary disappearances, rape, killings on mere suspicion,
protest self-immolation, nude protest, ceaseless hunger strikes and street
protests. The rape and killing of Thangjam Monarama by paramilitary, nude
protest of Manipuri women, self-immolation of Pebam Chitranjan against AFSPA
and continuing hunger strike of Irom Sharmila against AFSPA since November
2000 are some of the accounts that explain the existential state of the
people in Manipur and elsewhere. This shared experience of existential
deprivation of many societies is well reflected in some of the Clauses of
the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958, as the most fundamental question
of Right to life itself is suspended.   To cite, under the Article 4 Clause
(a) of the AFSPA, the security forces can use force "even causing death" on
mere grounds of suspicion and 'arrest any person without warrant' and
Article 6 further implicates a total derailing of the autonomy of
federal/constituting units of India as it says that without a prior approval
of the Central government no commissions or prosecutions or other legal
proceedings be constituted against the issues concerning the Act. Such
tendencies of the Act spell out the politics of defining how specific
communities are suspected historically by the Indian State which is aptly
seen in the Article 4 (a) of AFSPA.

The struggle against AFSPA has been successful in initiating a wider demand
for repealing the Act at the mass level. Today, the presence of Irom
Sharmila in Delhi (arrested by Delhi police on 6 th Oct 06) continuing her
hunger strike at AIIMS and not being responded to the demand for repeal by
the Government has in turn strengthened the collective struggle against the
Act. It is important to remember that when the movement against the AFSPA in
2004 reached a significant height, the GOI set up the Justice Reddy
Committee to review the Act. This Committee report has still not been made
public by the GOI. Ironically, the leaked copy of the report has nothing
substantial for the people despite its recommendation for the 'Repeal of the
Act'. For, it recommends the incorporation of AFSPA in the Unlawful
Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 which will be operable all over India. The
collective will always fight against any form of re-appropriation of the
Act. We demand:



* Immediate Repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.

* Make the Justice Reddy Review Committee Report on AFSPA, 1958, public.

* Do not retain AFSPA in any form.
**
*JOIN US*

*Mass Demonstration against AFSPA, 1958 *

*ITO, Delhi*

*11 October 2006*

*Time: 11:00 AM. (Bring your protest Banners)*



Issued by: MSAD, NPMHR, LRS, SAHELI, DMMSA, JNUSU, AISA, DSU, FDI, MRFD,
JAGORI, PSU, Other Media, PUDR, PUCL, PLS, HRA, HRLN, Oxfam, Amnesty I,
SANGAT, CG P I, MPO, ISI-Delhi, New Democracy. KJS,   SAD, KYSV, JKLF, Yuba
Bharat, Justice for worker, NTUI, SPDPR.

Mail: msad_manipur at yahoo.com/ adissent at yahoo.co.in

Date: 08-10-2006. Contacts: 9899925345 (Malem), 9312314339 (Rojesh),
9811352626 (Banerjit).
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