[Assam] From the Sentinel

[Chan Mahanta]

Another surprisingly good editorial from the Sentinel.

Unless I missed it, there was not a voice of 
democracy waving Assam Netters to be heard in 
support of Sharmila's lonely struggles, when it 
was aired a few days ago in this forum.

Some 'democratic' values, these. Be it Indian, be it Assam Netters'!


cm





Inbuilt Brutality

The hunger strike campaign of Irom Sharmila in 
New Delhi to protest against the continuance of 
two discriminatory Draconian laws in some of the 
northeastern States comes much too late in the 
day. However, that is not the worst of it. What 
is indeed a pity is that this just campaign of 
protest should have been taken up by just one 
woman in the national capital instead of being a 
concerted and ceaseless campaign by the people of 
all the northeastern States. Nay, it should have 
been a national campaign of the people of all the 
States as an act of solidarity with the people of 
the Northeast. But when has anyone seen the 
entire nation rising in protest against a gross 
injustice against the northeastern States? 
However, the voice of protest has been strong in 
Manipur even though Manipuris constitute a very 
tiny part of the Indian nation. One recalls the 
several powerful demonstrations against the armed 
forces in Manipur, culminating in the one where a 
dozen Manipuri women protested naked in front of 
the Assam Rifles headquarters after the gang-rape 
and murder of Thangjam Manorama in the custody of 
the Assam Rifles.
  The two Draconian laws against which Sharmila is 
demonstrating in New Delhi are the Armed Forces 
(Special Powers) Act and the Disturbed Areas Act. 
Armed with these two laws for Asom, Manipur, 
Nagaland and Tripura, the armed forces have the 
power (in these four States) to shoot down just 
anybody even on mere suspicion. These two laws 
empower even a noncommissioned officer to shoot 
down any citizen of these four States on 
suspicion of anti-national or terrorist 
activities. There is no provision like a 
magistrate having to be present even somewhere in 
the vicinity. And it is such Draconian and 
inhuman provisions for a democracy that have led 
to countless fake encounters with so-called 
insurgents. The normal protocol for these four 
States is that the armed forces shoot down 
someone on mere suspicion first, and then plant 
the necessary incriminating evidence like an 
AK-47 rifle, a Chinese pistol, hand grenades and 
"incriminating documents" on him thereafter. 
Likewise, the armed forces can gang-rape and then 
murder a woman and later claim that she was a 
terrorist. This is one blatant act of injustice 
involving no less than human life that is 
attracting more and more people towards 
insurgency. These two laws go a long way in 
taking away the responsibility of accountability 
from the armed forces. And even when this is done 
in respect of the armed forces vis-à-vis citizens 
in a democracy, it is like wilfully turning that 
democracy into a banana republic.
  What is amusing about the review of the Armed 
Forces (Special Powers) Act is that the Justice 
Jeevan Reddy Committee constituted to review the 
controversial Act has recommended that the 
legislation be repealed, but only after 
incorporation of certain features into the 
Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This is 
like having another law with the features of the 
black law to be repealed so that the overweening 
powers given to the armed forces in the four 
States of the Northeast as also in Jammu & 
Kashmir continue to be available to the military. 
This is like passing on to the left hand what we 
do not like to see in the right hand. Not 
surprisingly, this suggestion of the Reddy 
Committee has raised the hackles of all the civil 
rights groups in Manipur, though one does not see 
very much of a reaction in the other States where 
the two black laws are in force as well. If it is 
the duty of the Centre to protect citizens of 
every Indian State from external aggression and 
internal disturbance (responsibilities that the 
Centre has failed to discharge), it is equally 
the responsibility of the Centre to put an end to 
state terrorism and needless brutality with an 
iron hand.There are many more disturbed areas in 
the country. Why are such Draconian laws reserved 
only for some States?
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