Mass protest rally, sit-in protest mark AFSPA anniversary, bid to meet Irom Sharmila foiled
Hidden agenda under the garb of CI Ops questioned
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, September 11 2011: Assent of the then President of india to the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers' Act on this day in 1958 has been denounced with a peace rally cum sit-in-protest organised today by Just Peace Foundation in collaboration with Sharmila Kanba Lup.

The rally commenced from the Porompat PDA Complex office of Sharmila Kanba Lup and passed through Nongmeibung Nambam Chuthek to culminate at the Iboyaima Shanglen in Palace Compound where the participants staged a sit-in-protest.

On their way to Palace Compound the rallyists attempted to meet antiAFSPA campaigner Irom Sharmila Chanu at JN Hospital but security forces stationed at the security ward of the Hospital turned down the rallyists' insistence that Sharmila walk upto the Gate and meet the participants.

speaking to newpersons at the protest site, Foundation's managing trustee Kh Anandi said like in the past few years assent to AFSPA is being protested in various form to drive home the point to the Government of India that people of Manipur are totally against enforcement of the draconian law and will sustain the movement until total repealing of the said Act.

Rallyists crowd the gate of JNIMS insisting that Sharmila meet them

Anandi voiced strong resentment that inspite of numerous extra-judicial killings by security forces, who are immune to punitive action under the AFSPA 1958, and Sharmila's democratic movement for over a decade in demand for scrapping the Act, the Government of india has been indifferent to the sentiment of the entire population of Manipur.

While the movement launched by Anna Hazare against corruption in high places won widespread public acclaim and jolted the Government of India to ultimately endorse the Gandhian's demand, it is ironic that Sharmila's decade old agitation for protection of fundamental human rights is yet to gain cognizance, the managing trustee rued.

On the otherhand, Lup convenor AK Janaki Leima observed that the President of India approving enforcement AFSPA initially in the North East region before it covered Jammu and Kashmir is akin to the Government of India empowering security forces to ensure that the North Eastern region and J&K are transformed to lands of widows and orphans.

Reminding that in addition to the Justice (Retd) Jeevan Reddy Commission in its 147-page report placed before the Government of India describing AFSPA as an affront to basic human rights, global organisations including the United Nations Commission for human Rights had voiced opposition against AFSPA, she questioned whether inaction by the Government of India on the matter has a hidden agenda to systematically wipe out the entire population of Manipur under the garb of combating insurgency movement.

A signature campaign was also launched at the occasion.