[Assam] Army admits to torture - IANS/Gulf News

[Chan Mahanta]

Ram:

>Agreed - but have we seen any gestures by the ulfa for compensating 
>the families of all they killed over the years. Now, they have 
>learned a new trick - just deny they had anything to do with any or 
>all killings or extortions.
>That, obviously absolves them of all the mayhem that is going around in Assam.



*** There are a few teeny little differences, if you have missed:

	A: I don't know that ULFA has been running a 'liberal democratic'
	government, waving the banners of the rule of law. The ULFA 
was a result
	of, among other things, the same flouting of the rule of law by the
	Indian state, that they claim to have cornered the market on.

	B: If the ULFA  denies their misdeeds, that must make them unique.
  	Certainly the Indian state, flying the flag of a democratic state,
	could not teach them anything, with their truthfulness and
	integrity, could they?

	C: If you missed it, none other than the Sentinel editorial of this
  	morning, pointed out how the Indian state flouted the most fundamental
	of democratic norms in the NE, long before the ULFA was a glint in
	someone's eyes.

	D: ULFA made no pretenses about being a 'peaceful, democratic state
	. They are armed insurgents committed to die and kill if need be in
	the pursuit of their goal of liberating Assam to make IT a
	peaceful, democratic state with the rule of law that Indian
	occupation has denied Assam and its neighboring region. You 
or I may not
	subscribe to ULFA's methods, but to equate the Indian military's long
  	track record of shooting civilians down like cats and dogs, merely
	on the whim of even the lowest of its ranks, in far greater numbers
	than ULFA ever could, is a tad bit disingenuous , wouldn't you
	agree ?

	E: Finally, if the Indian state cannot do any better than what is
  	conveniently attributed to ULFA, why do you folks hold it up as
	the epitome of virtue, while  demonizing ULFA ? Isn't that, at the
	very least, demeaning to your deity ?



c-da :-)







At 1:19 PM -0500 10/16/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>C'da,
>
>  >Have you heard of the perpetual sinner who revels in sin six days 
>of >the week and on the seventh confesses and cleans his soul 
>out, >just to return to sin on Monday again :-)?
>
>Of course! I do that all the time:)
>
>  >Remember Kakpothar and Ajit Mahanta? And the thousands of >others 
>that were tortured, brutalized and shot down like 'cats and >dogs', 
>merely on suspicion?
>
>Yes, and no one condones those (or even make excuses). But since we 
>are finger-pointing, you do of course remember all the ulfa killings 
>and extortions - even as recent as a few days ago in Dhemaji, and 
>yesterday a trader's son shot 'cause he wouldn't pay up. The ulfa 
>list is pretty long.
>
>But one doesn't see the same vociferous condemnations from ulfa 
>supporters. Innocent lives are just that - innocent. There can't be 
>excuses when the Ulfa does it and outright condemnation when the 
>army does it.
>
>  >This army's confessions backed up by the ever so generous 
>Rs. >20,000 compensation no doubt absolved the perpetrators of 
>their >crimes, and satisfied the urge for accountability of 
>their >democratically dedicated desi-defenders :-), but does it even 
>come >CLOSE to ACCOUNTABILITY ?
>
>Agreed - but have we seen any gestures by the ulfa for compensating 
>the families of all they killed over the years. Now, they have 
>learned a new trick - just deny they had anything to do with any or 
>all killings or extortions.
>That, obviously absolves them of all the mayhem that is going around in Assam.
>
>--Ram
>
>
>
>On 10/16/06, Chan Mahanta 
><<mailto:cmahanta at charter.net>cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>Ram:
>
>
>Have you heard of the perpetual sinner who revels in sin six days of 
>the week and on the seventh confesses and cleans his soul out, just 
>to return to sin on Monday again :-)? Remember Kakpothar and Ajit 
>Mahanta? And the thousands of others that were tortured, brutalized 
>and shot down like 'cats and dogs', merely on suspicion?
>
>
>
>
>This army's confessions backed up by the ever so generous Rs. 20,000 
>compensation no doubt absolved the perpetrators of their crimes, and 
>satisfied the urge for accountability of their democratically 
>dedicated desi-defenders :-), but does it even come CLOSE to 
>ACCOUNTABILITY ?
>
>
>c-da
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
>
>
>At 11:22 AM -0500 10/16/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>
>>This is for folks who think that the army is never held accountable 
>>for their actions.
>>
>_______________________
>
>
>
>Published: 10/15/2006 12:00 AM (UAE)
>
>IANS
>
>
>Guwahati: The Indian Army engaged in anti-insurgency operations in 
>Assam is once again mired in a row over torture in custody of a 
>separatist suspect, forcing authorities to apologise and order a 
>court of inquiry.
>
>Hundreds of people on Friday blocked a highway for hours near 
>Khowang in Dibrugarh district, 450km east of here, protesting 
>alleged torture of a farmer, Nipul Saikia, after he was picked up by 
>soldiers from his house five days ago.
>
>"I think Saikia was not treated properly and so we have ordered a 
>court of inquiry. I would like to assure you that the guilty would 
>be punished," Major Gen N.C. Marwah, general-officer-commanding 
>(GOC) of the 2nd Mountain Division, said. Saikia was picked up from 
>his home on Monday on the suspicion of being a linkman of the 
>outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and was kept in 
>custody until Thursday before he was admitted to the Dibrugarh 
>Medical College with serious injuries.
>
>"Saikia was brought to hospital with rectal bleeding and his 
>condition was serious. The injuries were suffered probably due to 
>electric shocks," a doctor attending on him said, requesting 
>anonymity.
>
>The GOC visited Saikia at the hospital and tendered his personal 
>apologies to him for the incident.
>
>There were similar protests in the eastern Tinsukia district where 
>people in their hundreds took to the streets to protest the 
>detention of about 20 villagers, including women and children.
>
>The villagers were picked up by the army earlier in the week after 
>an explosion triggered by the ULFA injured a soldier in the area. 
>The army authorities on Friday released 10 women and children after 
>the protests.
>
>
>
>
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