[Reader-list] Call for Nationwide Protest Repeal AFSPA, Free Sharmila

[Anivar Aravind]

*Call for Nationwide Protest

Repeal AFSPA, Free Sharmila
*
Dear friends,

Perhaps you are aware that the hunger fast of Irom Sharmila Chanu has
crossed 10 years, with a demand for repeal of AFSPA (Armed Forces Special
Powers Act, 1958. She has been force fed through her nose by the Government,
arrested with charges for attempt to commit suicide, criminalised as a high
security prisoner, denying her access to family, friends, supporters and the
media. It is a shame that in this land of Gandhi, a non-violent protester
has been subjected to such humiliation for more than ten years. Globally, in
the history of non-violent  resistance, this struggle is unmatched in terms
of its resilence and sustaining power.

The draconian act of AFSPA has been implemented in North eastern states of
India since 1958 and in Jammu and Kashmir since 1991. It was on May 22,
1958, that the AFSPA was promulgated in the north east as an ordinance. This
law is more draconian than its predecessor ordinance used by the British to
suppress the Quit India Movement.  It gave extraordinary powers to members
of the armed forces, to arrest without warrant and shoot to kill on the
basis of suspicion; and no legal action can be taken up against the armed
forces without prior sanction from the Centre. After a brief discussion, the
Parliament endorsed the ordinance an Act on August 18, 1958, despite stiff
resistance from various qurters who challenged it as a martial law. Needless
to say, that with the pretension of controlling insurgence, this Act has
only intensified the insurgency in the region and legitimised thousands of
gross human rights violations like rape, torture, murder and
“disappearances” of innocent people in the north east. The democratic
movements in the north east have consistently demanded the repeal of the Act
for decades. In solidarity, we, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties
(PUCL) and the National Alliance of People’s Movement (NAPM) hereby call to
all democratic forums, human rights groups and people’s movements to
initiate various public protest actions from May 22 to August 18, demanding
immediate repeal of AFSPA, in solidarity with Irom Sharmila.

AFSPA is not only opposed by the civil society groups but also by the
Government’s own commissions and committees appointed to look into the
matter. For example, the Committee to Review the Armed Forces Special Powers
Act, headed by Justice B. P.  Jeevan Reddy in 2005, the Administrative
Reforms Commission headed by Dr. Veerappan Moily in 2007 and several others
have recommended its repeal. Internationally,  the UN bodies including the
Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the U N High
Commissioner for Human Rights and recently the UN Special Rapporteur on
Human Rights Defenders have consistently urged for its repeal. However, all
these went to the deaf ears of the Government.

We hereby strongly condemn the use of our tax payers’ money for the
militarisation of the civic spaces within the country. We recognise that if
the struggle of Irom Sharmila fails, it will be a failure of the entire
democratic movements in this country as well as a deep scar on Indian
democracy for generations. Therefore, in the wake of the 54th year of
imposition of AFSPA, we appeal to all human rights groups, social and
political activist groups, people’s movements and NGOs to initiate the
following public protest actions demanding the repeal of AFSPA in solidarity
with Irom Sharmila, during May 22 to August 18, 2011:

1.       Public protests, dharnas, relay hunger fasts in your area

2.       Organise public meetings and seminars on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila
demanding the repeal of AFSPA

3.       Organise performances of the one woman play `Le mashale’ on Irom
Sharmila by Ojas S.V.

4.       Organise painting exhibitions on Irom Sharmila. The exhibition can
be downloaded from:
http://www.e-pao.net/epGallery.asp?id=1&src=AFSPA_Related/Neogene201102

5.       Organise film screening programmes on AFSPA and Irom Sharmila.
Copies of the video films are available from: email: insafdelhi at gmail.com or
phone: 011-26517814

6.       Initiate public signature campaigns and send them to the Prime
Minister, the Defence Minister, the Law Minster, the Home Minister and the
National Human Rights Commission

7.       Initiate statements by well known writers, intellectuals, film
personalities, theatre people, musicians and other artists

8.       Any other form of action that you may find appropriate to
strengthen the democracy of this country

We request you to publicise your action through the internet and mass media
and send the reports of your actions to: contact at iromsharmila.org

National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) & National Fish workers’
Federation (NFF)