Nationwide campaign on Save Irom Sharmila
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, October 02 2011:
Hyderabad Manipuri Society in association with the National Alliance of People's Movements, AP Chapter launched the State wide Campaign today at Ambedkar Statue, Tank Bund, and Hyderabad, as part of the Nationwide "SAVE SHARMILA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN" involving many organizations and people's movements that is being launched across India.
The North East Students' Organization (Neso), comprising student bodies from all the seven states of the region, on Saturday staged a dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi seeking a solution to multiple issues ranging from demands for expedition of the peace processes with militant outfits to repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and protest against mega-dams being built in the region.
The Hyderabad Manipuri Society in its campaign have demanded the state and the central government to start positive steps of talk with Irom Sharmila and to listen to her demands seriously, to send all party delegation and to send members of NWC/NHRC to investigate cases of human rights violations.
Appealing for peace and justice, Hyderabad Manipuri Society in a press statement said that Irom Chanu Sharmila has been on a hunger strike for 11 years now.
Her hunger protest has become the longest in the world.
She has been protesting against the draconian law of AFSPA (Armed Special Forces Power Act) which was enforced in the north-east in 1958.According to official records, since 1980, more than 25,000 civilians have been killed by security personnel under the blanket proof of AFSPA.
The release further said that the government has reacted to these protests and Irom Sharmila's heroic struggle by ignoring these pleas and by suppressing the "Iron Lady" .
She is a common citizen just like every citizen of India.
Her struggle is not just to liberate Manipur; it is to restore democracy in this country.
So whether it is Humanity or Patriotism that calls you, Support Irom and her struggle.
Save this democracy.
Aasu general secretary Tapan Gogoi said the Neso delegation was seeking an appointment with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to submit a memorandum.
"We are strongly opposing giving away of Assam's land to Bangladesh as part of the land swap deal.
The agreement is yet to be ratified by the Parliament and so we will be pressing the Prime Minister to keep the deal in abeyance.
We will also be asking for his intervention in stopping the construction of mega dams in the region as suggested by experts.
The government has been saying that it would like to take the opinion of other experts.
We welcome this, but at the same time, the construction should be stopped till the experts carry out more studies on the issue," the Aasu general secretary said.
He added that Irom Sharmila's elder brother Irom Singhajit also joined the dharna.
Apart from Aasu, the student organizations that joined in the protest were Khasi Students Union, Garo Students' Union, All Arunachal Pradesh Students' Union, Naga Students' Federation, All Manipur Students' Union, Mizo Zirlal Pawl and Twipra Students' Federation.
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