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

[Ram Sarangapani]

C'da

>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.

Would that give them the cover to kill innocent people (including children).
It is not as if the ulfa was only waging war against the Indian army. They
are now, in fact, extented that to include civilians - be they connected to
the Indian machinery or not.

Sorry, C'da - they are NOT the idealistic 'freedom seekers' any more. Their
actions speak a lot more. Now, very few know what they are actually fighting
for. To think that they are fighting for an Assamese homeland is a
far-fetched as it can be.

> A: I don't know that ULFA has been running a 'liberal democratic'  >
government, waving the banners of the rule of law.

Wouldn't have known if you hadn't told us. But they do make lofty promises
for a sonor Oxom!

> 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 ?

No one is holding up the Indian army as virtuous. One thing is certain, the
army problem wouldn't exist, if the ulfa wasn't running loose. As bad as you
make them out to be, there are cases when they are brought to book when they
go haywire.
Given the bad experience with armymen running loose in the countryside and
their wanton killings (from what you tell us), wouldn't it then be prudent
for the ULFA, which claims to be the savior of the Assamese to seek some
peaceful solution or alternatively, just give up. I know, this sounds harsh,
but if the ulfa is claiming to save Assam, shouldn't Assamese lives be very
important to them (ie. being killed by the Indian army, as you say).
Whatever the struggles and aspirations, can Assam afford a zero-sum game?

--Ram






On 10/16/06, Chan Mahanta <cmahanta at charter.net> wrote:
>
>  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* <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
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 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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