SAY NO TO AFSPA...

I WONDER : 

1 THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR ARMED FORCES TO VE A MEDIA CELL AT AHQ.

2.AFTER WE AGREED TO ALLOW THE PMF/POLICE TO WEAR COMBATS, WE VE SUCCESSFULLY ENSURED IN THE EYES OF COMMON CITIZEN THAT EVERY VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IS BY ARMED FORCES ONLY.

3. I DISTINCTLY REMEMBER ON KARGIL DAY ONE OF THE BUDDING REPORTER OF NDTV ASKED OUR RETD GENS THAT WHY ARMY DID A FAKE ENCOUNTER IN VALLEY WHEREAS IN REALITY IT WAS AN ACT BY CRPF.( I AM NOT TRYING TO SAY THAT WE VE NEVER FAULTED, BUT ITS RARE). THIS SHOWS THAT EVEN OUR REPORTERS ARE UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN ARMED FORCES AND POLICE NOW A DAYS. MEDIA USING POLICE PHOTOS WHILE REPORTING ON ARMY AND VICE VERSA IS VERY COMMON NOW A DAYS. SEE THIS LINK FROM TODAYS TELEGRAPH PAPER AS A PROOF. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1090912/jsp/nation/story_11484886.jsp

4. IMMEDIATELY A RETD POLICE OFFICER ANSWERED EVEN BEFORE OUR GENS COULD ANSWER IT THAT ITS A PLOT AGAINST CRPF.

5. NOW IN NORTH EAST ALSO ACTS OF CRPF AND POLICE ARE LEADING TO PROTEST AGAINST ARMY AND AFSPA.

6. THE WORST IS PMF ARE DOING EVERYTHING TO  MIMIC ARMED FORCES LIKE UNIFORM,PAINTING THEIR VEHICLES, NAMING THEIR BRANCHS/DEPARTMENTS, INTRODUCING THEMSELVES BY ARMY RANKS AND CLAIMING TO BE FUAJIs. THEY VE A BETTER MARKETING IN THIS MARKET DRIVEN COUNTRY UNLIKE US.
 

7. WE NEED TO ACT, AT LEAST OBJECT ON FALSE REPORTING IF NOTHING ELSE. HERE WORTH MENTIONING IS THE PREVIOUS NAVAL CHIEF WHO DIDN'T ALLOW THE MEDIA TO GET AWAY BY REPORTING ANYTHING JUST LIKE THAT. ITS TIME FOR US TO ACT OR THE DAYS ARE NOT FAR WHEN WE WILL ACTUALLY BE LIKE ANY OTHER POLICE ORGANIZATION OF INDIA. THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO VE A LAW WHERE IN EVERY ARMY OFFICIALS FROM HAV ONWARDS SHOULD VE THE POWERS TO ARREST. SEIZE ANY PERSON/EQUIPMENT IF ITS SIMILAR TO ARMY. JUST RAISING THESE ISSUES IN CIVIL-MILITARY  CONF WONT WORK.

THESE ARE MY PERSONAL VIEWS ONLY. 

I was recently invited to a protest rally by Manipur students and activists at Jantar Mantar- the capital's dharna street- against the alleged fake killings in the troubled state. The place was interspersed with a host of protesters from across the country, demanding their right 'within the basic framework of the Constitution'.

From eco-activists lecturing on global warming to Bhopal gas pidits (sufferers) demanding their 'due' compensation, the street feigned to give a look of activity more so inactivity as what I consider dharna to be. The mode as well as the duration of some protests was bizarre.

What really impressed me was the diversity of protests. People from different regions, states, districts, talukas and villages had camped near the most boisterous House of the country - The Parliament House - to shout out their grievances. Little did they know that their voices would hardly match the high-pitch banter of their esteemed representatives inside the House.

But spirited that they were, they continued with their protest in the hope that one day, they will be heard and that lawmakers would heed to their demands.

By this time I had reached the corner where Manipur youths were camping with their placards and banners.

Some of the placards read:

• Punish the guilty
• Manipur CM Ibobi Singh father of terrorism
• No state terrorism in the Hills and the Valley in Manipur

The recent upsurge in public anger started after a national magazine exposed an alleged fake encounter by the security forces in Manipur.

A crowd of odd 100 Manipuris had gathered, they were supported by a couple of north Indian students from DU, Jamia and JNU. Slogans were being shouted with full vigour and strength.

The 'brutal' Indian state was being lambasted by the speakers. The count of human rights violations by the security forces was being made public with a mandatory chorus in the backdrop that said "Shame".

I thought to myself- don't they know that the state is not shamed so easily? I remember when a Manipuri woman named Manorama was allegedly killed by the security forces and the government chose to look the other way. And then came the shocker when a group of women protested naked. The world was awestruck by the boldness of the protest. The state, again, chose to stay silent- oblivious to the cause of the public outcry.

My chain of thought was broken by a sudden offering of water by a protestor who handed over a bottle of Bisleri to me.

I started to interact with the group of students at the dharna site, most of whom said that while they had no problem with the Indian Constitution, the Indian state had failed to protect their basic rights.

Gunnamani, an MPhil scholar at JNU, asserted that the root cause of killing of civilians by the Army is the draconian law Armed Forces Special Powers act (AFSPA).

"The latest fake encounter is not the first one, it has been happening for many many years. The root cause of the problem is the draconian AFSPA law which gives armed forces the license to kill innocent civilians under the garb of insurgents and militants," said Gunnamani.

The rally started to move toward the Parliament street. While I was talking to Manipuri students, a bus passed from behind us and along came some uninvited comments. A group of young guys stuck their necks out of the bus window and shouted, "Oye Chowmins and Momos, what are you doing here?". Even more shameful than the remark was the sight of a policeman standing at the corner of the road and smiling to himself.

Manipuri Students Association President Sandhya Rani, a student of MA history in DU felt that people from Northeast in general, and girls in particular, face discrimination here in the country's capital. She echoed the fears and grievances of Manipur students staying in the capital.

She said: "The Indian Constitution is flexible but for Manipuris there is lack of even basic rights. We demand right to life, a life with self-respect. We feel like a foreigner in our own country."

She further reminded me that Congress governments are ruling both at the Centre and the state but they have been apathetic towards the cause of the common people.

"Even the imperialist Britishers left India after Gandhiji's non-violent protests but our government does not listen to our basic demands through non-violent means. See the case of Irom Sharmila, she has been on fast for so many years but the government has hardly cared to listen to her demands," said Sandhya.

Finally we reached the Parliament street where the police had put up the necessary barricades. It was a pretty disciplined rally so people stopped at the barricade and the police kept a vigil.

Then I met Henthoyba, a Phd scholar from Manipur University who had come all the way from Manipur for the protest. First he was reluctant to talk to me, but later opened up. Interestingly, his topic of research was people's movement.

I prepared myself to ask routine questions for a story but I was genuinely interested in knowing the situation at the ground level. I fired two quick queries: What's the situation like in Manipur? Was it really bad out there?

What he said was really shocking and his eyes were brimmed with tears while he said: "If you are in Manipur, you're not sure whether you will wake the next morning and see the sun. That's the level of insecurity among the common people."

He summed up the situation. I had got my answers but hope the government also got one.

Hope the government realizes that laws like AFSPA, which leaves civilians at the mercy of security forces, should not have any place in a democratic country like ours. 

SOURCE : NDTV