[Assam] Army admits to torture - IANS/Gulf News
Ram Sarangapani
assamrs at gmail.com
Mon Oct 16 19:25:11 PDT 2006
Mukul da,
I am sure most netters get what I mean by zero-sum. It could be that this is
a more Americanized term and not in vogue elsewhere or maybe there is a
different term.
In any case, I know what it means in American parlance - wouldn't dare use
it otherwise. :)
--Ram
On 10/16/06, mc mahant <mikemahant at hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> *<Whatever the struggles and aspirations, can Assam afford a zero-sum
> game?>*
>
> All netters should finally elaborate his/hers own views on Ram's Q in
> Red-- i.e..after Ram had explained this Q in plain language- easy to
> understand by all.
>
> mm
>
> ------------------------------
> From: *"Ram Sarangapani" <assamrs at gmail.com>*
> To: *"Chan Mahanta" <cmahanta at charter.net>*
> CC: *ASSAMNET <assam at assamnet.org>*
> Subject: *Re: [Assam] Army admits to torture - IANS/Gulf News*
> Date: *Mon, 16 Oct 2006 20:29:00 -0500*
>
> 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.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > assam mailing list
> > assam at assamnet.org
> > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> >_______________________________________________
> >assam mailing list
> >assam at assamnet.org
> >http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
>
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.assamnet.org/pipermail/assam-assamnet.org/attachments/20061016/bd34d418/attachment.htm>
More information about the Assam
mailing list