By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Guwahati: The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) has called for a nationwide protest demanding repeal of the AFSPA (Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958) much in support of Irom Sharmila who is on hunger strike for the last ten years demanding the repeal of the Act. The appeal pointed out that Irom Sharmila has been force-fed through her nose by the Government, arrested with charges for attempt to commit suicide, criminalised as a high security prisoner, denying her access to family, friends, supporters and the media. It is a shame that in this land of Gandhi, a non-violent protester has been subjected to such humiliation for more than ten years. Globally, in the history of non-violent resistance, this struggle is unmatched in terms of its resilience and sustaining power.
The AFSPA was first promulgated on May 22, 1958, as an ordinance which was more draconian than its predecessor ordinance used by the British to suppress the Quit India Movement. The Act gives extraordinary powers to members of the armed forces to arrest without warrant and to shoot to kill on the basis of suspicion; and no legal action can be taken up against the armed forces without prior sanction from the Centre. The Act was passed after a brief discussion in the Parliament that endorsed the ordinance an Act on August 18, 1958 and it was intended for application for one year only. Civil society groups are of the opinion that the Act has only intensified the insurgency in the region and legitimised thousands of gross human rights violations like rape, torture, murder and “disappearances” of innocent people in the north east. The democratic movements in the north east have consistently demanded the repeal of the Act for decades.
Various bodies have recommended for the repeal of the Act such as the Committee to Review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act headed by Justice B. P. Jeevan Reddy in 2005, and the Administrative Reforms Commission headed by Dr. Veerappa Moily in 2007. Internationally, the UN bodies including the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the U N High Commissioner for Human Rights and recently the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders have consistently urged for its repeal. It was reported that the government of India has proposed amendments but the details are not public.
The People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) called to all democratic forums, human rights groups and people’s movements to initiate various public protest actions from May 22 to August 18, demanding immediate repeal of the AFSPA, in solidarity with Irom Sharmila.
For more information the following persons can be contacted:
Pushkar Raj (General Secretary), People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL)
09810656100, e-mail: [email protected]
Babloo Loithongbam, Human Rights Alert Manipur.
09862008838, [email protected]
Kavita Srivastava: 09351562965, 0141 2594131
[email protected], [email protected]
V Suresh, 09444231497, [email protected]
Chittranjan Singh: 09415249770, [email protected]
Mahipal Singh: 09312206414, [email protected]
Organisations have been requested to issue the appeal further so that there can be a widespread involvement of other campaigns and individuals.