[Assam] From the Sentinel

[Rajib Das]

C-da,

No, I wouldn't. There is nothing like norm in such
circumstances.

Those Delhites sitting there is a far better
proposition I would say than you or I quibbling about
supporting her from this far as a line on Assamnet.

Grouping your kind of India baiters with Irom Sharmila
doesn't work. First off, her's is a different struggle
- in form, content and goal. Second - and very
importantly - she doesn't get indigestion if she is
not doing extortion on any given day. 

Rajib



> On that basis, and in light of the news that 
> Sharmila is fighting this battle all by her 
> lonely self ( yeah, yeah--I know Rajib, as an 
> Indian, would like to translate the involvement 
> of those few Delhiites as the desi-norm -- what 
> else can he do?) what would  your assessment be 
> of the quality of "desi-demokrasy" and the 
> attitudes of the Owners and Protectors of them 
> 'North Eastern terrorists, tribals and 
> ne'er-do-gooders' - the Indians, might be to 
> their wards and fellow-devotees-of democracy :-)?
> 
> *** That however leaves out those who, I am sure 
> you noticed already and pointed as "---not 
> absolve the people and intellectuals in the NE 
> either."
> 
> Well, what do you think then of the QUALITY and 
> understanding of and fealty to democratic values 
> of these 'intellectuals' of Assam and the NE with 
> laryngitis, who claim to be and wear the halo of 
> the TRUE and legitimate representatives of the 
> people of the region ?
> 
> 
> >This goes for all the pro and anti India folks. 
> >I was not aware of any uproar >in Assam to get 
> >Delhi's attention in this case.
> 
> 
> *** Heh-heh! That ol' 'they-are-all-alike' 
> defense again huh :-)? But not sooo fast my 
> friend! Them 'India-baiters' have been waging 
> their lonely struggles against it for a very long 
> time. And many of them don't RECOGNIZE the right 
> of Dilli to hold that open-season on them 'North 
> Easterners' to go beg and grovel at Indraprastha, 
> to pleaaase cease and desist. That, one would 
> have hoped, would be the job of the apologists 
> for Indian colonial hold over the NE, but who 
> wear the halo of devotees-of-democracy.
> 
> 
> Yours, proud-to-be-an-'India-baiter',
> 
> c-da :-)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> At 7:08 PM -0500 10/11/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
> >  >Unless I missed it, there was not a voice of 
> >democracy waving Assam Netters to be heard >in 
> >support of Sharmila's lonely struggles,
> >
> >C'da,
> >
> >You are correct. The Sentinel article, also says 
> >that she is virtually alone in her protest and 
> >it is surprising, that there is no one, be it 
> >India lovers or India baiters.
> >
> >But there has been a lot of lip service - 
> >specially from the media. But thats about it.
> >
> >--Ram
> >
> >
> >On 10/11/06, Chan Mahanta 
> ><<mailto:cmahanta at charter.net>cmahanta at charter.net>
> 
> >wrote:
> >
> >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-�-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 
> 
=== message truncated ===>
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