Anti-AFSPA Rally From Mandi House To Jantar Mantar

Anti-AFSPA Rally From Mandi House To Jantar Mantar on 30 March 2014

On 30th march, an anti-AFSPA rally was carried out from Mandi House metro station to Jantar Mantar. The rally was jointly organised by Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, AISA, AIPWA, RYA, DSF, JNUSU, NEFIS, Voices against 377, NAPM and Right to water campaign.

The rally was organised as a part of an effort to create a political pressure for repeal of AFSPA in this election season. These groups also wrote letters to political parties and an open letter was issued through media as well that was also circulated by Asian Human Rights Commission. The organisers of the programme state the objective:

Ravi Nitesh of Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign(SSSC)said that the draconian and inhuman law of AFSPA has been exisiting for almost 60 years now, Irom Sharmila has been on a hunger-strike for 14 years but the Government remains unbothered. It has not taken any steps to even talk to her. Almost all major parties in the country have been silent about the everyday horror in these states. But through our rally, we will try to challenge this silence.

Anti-AFSPA Rally From Mandi House To Jantar Mantar on 30 March 2014

Devika Mittal, a DU student and core member of Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign said that while all political parties are talking about development, secularism and corruption, they must know that all these claims and promises hold no meaning in AFSPA states. There can be no development in AFSPA states without the revocation of AFSPA. AFSPA is also the face of corruption in these states.

Rupam, a DU student from Assam, stated that the promise of a better future is intertwined with the repeal of AFSPA from these states. You cannot ignore this issue. Repeal of AFSPA is the only way forward. It is the only way forward for a better India.

V Arun Kumar, student and member of AISA, talked about the other efforts that were taken. In efforts to urge political parties to take up this issue of AFSPA, an open letter issued by Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign and endorsed by many human rights’ activists and organizations across the country was written to political parties including AAP, Samajwadi Party, Trinamool Congress, left parties, regional parties of Jammu & Kashmir and North-east. We had also requested academicians and columnists to write on this issue in newspapers to highlight this issue. Also Farhan from AISA told that even in spite of long pending demand, government and even political parties are failed to fullfil the demand of Repeal AFSPA. They are actually failed to understand what is actually democracy means.

Anti-AFSPA Rally From Mandi House To Jantar Mantar on 30 March 2014

After the rally, a public meeting was held at Jantar Mantar.

Anubhuti, Vice President from JNUSU talked about the human rights' violations enabled by AFSPA. She talked about the shame of mass-rape case of Kunan Poshpora, brutal rape and murder of Manorama Devi and of other cases that the democracy carries.

Ram Mohan Rai, Social activist from Haryana, talked about how AFSPA is anti-democractic and everyone who believes in democracy must speak out against it.

Students from Kashmir and North-east shared their experiences. Raies ul-haq, a DU student also talked about other similar state-repressive laws. He talked about the draconian PSA in Kashmir. Swaleh Ul Islam from Assam shared his experience of living in an AFSPA state.

Chinglin from North East Forum for International Studies (NEFIS) expressed the demand of Repeal AFSPA and how it has made NE states a victim state of state suppression.

Talha from CFI also argued that laws like AFSPA are unacceptable. Swaleh Islam from Assam shared his experience of sufferings in his native place and how common man is main victim of this act.

Irom Sharmila Scholarship awarded during program

During the programme, the Irom Sharmila scholarship that has been set up in the honour of Irom Sharmila and is granted to a post-graduate student who comes from an area with internal armed conflict was also awarded. It was awarded by Dr. Deepti Priya Mehrotra, author of Burning Bright - Irom Sharmila and the struggle for peace in Manipur and Deepti Sharma of Saheli to Seram Rojesh, a phD student of Delhi School of Economics. He is from the AFSPA state of Manipur. Rojesh has tried to highlight this issue both through his research works and through activism.

Anti-AFSPA Rally From Mandi House To Jantar Mantar on 30 March 2014

Performance Art to Express Resistance

Neha Tickoo, an artist, had also presented a poetry-dance performance on the struggle and cause of Irom Sharmila.

LGBTQ Groups Participated & Demanded to REPEAL AFSPA

Rituparna from Voices against 377 talked about how this law challenges the notions of equality, democracy and justice. She said that the LGBTQ community supports the repeal of AFSPA.

Many other students, activists, academicians participated and demanded to repeal the act. They shouted slogans of Repeal AFSPA such as Afspa ko radda karo.., AFSPA murdabad, Democracy Zindabaad-AFSPA Murdabad etc. It was a march and meeting that had people from all walk of life and almost from all region , be it J&K or North East to Kerla. Large number of people gathered to demand that AFSPA must be repealed for the humanity and human rights. They all also urged that political parties must take it with serious concern that issue is not just about a region where AFSPA is imposed, instead it is all about democratic values, rights of human being and state repression.