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It burst out like an
uprising of the Manipuri people on 16 July 2004. The immediate catalyst that
triggered such a long-drawn demonstration of monumental anger and hatred of the
whole nationality was the arrest of Thangiam Manorama alias Henthoi, a 32 years
woman from her home by the 17th Battalian of the Assam Rifles and the finding
out of her bullet-riddled dead body the following morning near Ngariyan Mapao
Maring village. Her uncovered abandoned body bore tell-tale signs of brutal
torture, many scratches, a gaping knife wound, and seven bullet wounds on her
back. Manorama’s case was just an addition to the relentless series of
barbarities of the State armed forces against fighters and supporters of
nationality movements in India. Fake encounter deaths, extra-judicial killings,
disappearances, arbitrary arrests, rape of women, torture, etc. are meted out to
the people by the security forces enjoying impunity under such savage
legislation like the AFSPA, 1958. The pent-up hatred of the Manipuris is still
pouring out. The Apunba Lup, the core body of 32 organisations demanding the
total revocation of the AFSPA, 1958, has been spearheading the movement despite
heavy crackdown by the government on the leaders and fighters. The height of the
protests forced the government to withdraw the draconian Act from 10% area of
Manipur but the Manipuris are stieking to their demands for complete withdrawal
of the Act.
Why the delnge of
protests against AFSPA 1958?
The AFSPA was first
introduced in Assam and Manipur in 1958 to curb and repress the nationality
movements. An amendment to the Act was made in 1972 in order to apply this
deadly Act to all the seven States of the North-East. This was passed by the
Indian Parliament in a bid to destroy all democratic norms, giving the Central
Government, in consultation with the Governor, the right to declare an area
"disturbed" and impose the Act, even in case the State Government does not deem
such action necessary. The Act is loaded with all foreible measures without the
conditions under which the authority would be justified in making such a
declaration. In contrast to the Constitutional provision allowing a State of
emergency for a limited period, the AFSPA 1958 can be enforced for an indefinite
period, without review. It is in fact the equivalent of a martial law tramping
underfoot all sorts of democratic conventions. Notable it is that the Indian
Government in its submission to the UN Human Rights Committee on the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights made such tall claim that
"the propriety of and the bonafides of the exercise of the power in this regard
is subject to judicial review".
When it came into
force, the draconian AFSPA 1958 gives unbridled powers to the state armed
forces. This Act clearly states that even a non-commissioned officer is granted
the right to shoot to kill on the mere assumption that ‘it is necessary to do so
in order to maintain the public order’ and the only trivial thing necessary is
to give "such due warning as he may consider necessary." Armed with the wanton
power of this notorious Act armed forces personnel enjoy the right to enter,
search and arrest without warrant, any person against suspicion that "he has
committed or is about to commit a cognizable offence or use any amount of force
necessary to effect the arrest." With such massive powers given to the armed
forces, the AFSPA 1958 makes sure that they will enjoy near total immunity for
their actions. The Act unequivocally states that no prosecution, suit or other
legal proceedings can be brought against any personnel acting under the Act
without the permission of the Central Government. Thus the citizens and victims
of barbarities committed by the armed forces shall have no fundamental rights.
Over about a half century, people of the North-East have been compelled to live
under military boots, especially women have been regularly subjected to rape,
molestation, various abominable forms of sexual violence like stripping forcing
them to deliver babies in the open with the vulture like soldiers lustily
watching on and what not. The on-going flood of protests is against such
barbarities legalized by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) 1958.
The uninterrupted
struggles in Manipur have united all freedom-loving democratic people against
the State defying all brutal counter measures. More than month has elapsed. The
inflinching stance of the masses has forced the state government to declare some
concessions with no takers. The fighting Manipuris have now successfully gone on
the course of boycotting Indian goods, symbolizing the spirit of the Manipuri
nationality suppressed and exploited by the Indian state since the British Raj.
As this writing goes to press, media reports flash the news about the turning
down of state government’s offer for talks by the movement committee reiterating
the immediate demand for withdrawal of the black Act. The Manipuris are making
history defying deaths, arrests and all conceivable measures in order to assert
their Manipuri identity and materialize fundamental rights for existence.
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