O' Ram:
> The Sentinel article, also says that she is virtually alone
in her protest and >it is surprising, that there is no one, be it
India lovers or India baiters.
*** I know, I know--it is always nice to have company when one is
in the dog-house. But not-sooo-fast on the indictment and
search-for-the-warmth-of them 'India-baiters' in this cold and dank
place where the democracy-wavers find
themselves in :-).
At least one "India-baiter" took the bait and wrote in
Assamnet " I express my complete support of Irom and all others
who support her mission." That is a whole lot more than ALL those
democracy-wavers could muster, if you asked me :-).
>But there has been a lot of lip service - specially from the
media. But thats >about it.
*** First off, the 'media' is NOT responsible for DOING something
about the problem, other than reporting it. But we also know that the
media is just a foil for people who own them and run them. Thus the
quality of the media is only as good as the knowledge and attitude of
the people behind them and who reflect the views of the general
populace.
On that basis, and in light of the news that Sharmila is fighting
this battle all by her lonely self ( yeah, yeah--I know Rajib, as an
Indian, would like to translate the involvement of those few Delhiites
as the desi-norm -- what else can he do?) what would your
assessment be of the quality of "desi-demokrasy"
and the attitudes of the Owners and Protectors of them 'North
Eastern terrorists, tribals and ne'er-do-gooders' - the Indians, might
be to their wards and fellow-devotees-of democracy :-)?
*** That however leaves out those who, I am sure you noticed
already and pointed as "---not absolve the people and
intellectuals in the NE either."
Well, what do you think then of the QUALITY and understanding
of and fealty to democratic values of these 'intellectuals' of Assam
and the NE with laryngitis, who claim to be and wear the halo of the
TRUE and legitimate representatives of the people of the region
?
>This goes for all the pro and anti India folks. I was not
aware of any uproar >in Assam to get Delhi's attention in this
case.
*** Heh-heh! That ol' 'they-are-all-alike' defense again huh :-)?
But not sooo fast my friend! Them 'India-baiters' have been waging
their lonely struggles against it for a very long time. And many of
them don't RECOGNIZE the right of Dilli to hold that open-season on
them 'North Easterners' to go beg and grovel at Indraprastha, to
pleaaase cease and desist. That, one would have hoped, would be the
job of the apologists for Indian colonial hold over the NE, but who
wear the halo of devotees-of-democracy.
Yours, proud-to-be-an-'India-baiter',
c-da :-)
At 7:08 PM -0500 10/11/06, Ram Sarangapani wrote:
>Unless I missed it, there was not a voice of democracy waving Assam Netters to be heard >in support of Sharmila's lonely struggles,
C'da,
You are correct. The Sentinel article, also says that she is virtually alone in her protest and it is surprising, that there is no one, be it India lovers or India baiters.
But there has been a lot of lip service - specially from the media. But thats about it.
--Ram
On 10/11/06, Chan Mahanta <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Another surprisingly good editorial from the Sentinel.
Unless I missed it, there was not a voice of democracy waving Assam Netters to be heard in support of Sharmila's lonely struggles, when it was aired a few days ago in this forum.
Some 'democratic' values, these. Be it Indian, be it Assam Netters'!
cm
Inbuilt Brutality
The hunger strike campaign of Irom Sharmila in New Delhi to protest against the continuance of two discriminatory Draconian laws in some of the northeastern States comes much too late in the day. However, that is not the worst of it. What is indeed a pity is that this just campaign of protest should have been taken up by just one woman in the national capital instead of being a concerted and ceaseless campaign by the people of all the northeastern States . Nay, it should have been a national campaign of the people of all the States as an act of solidarity with the people of the Northeast. But when has anyone seen the entire nation rising in protest against a gross injustice against the northeastern States? However, the voice of protest has been strong in Manipur even though Manipuris constitute a very tiny part of the Indian nation. One recalls the several powerful demonstrations against the armed forces in Manipur, culminating in the one where a dozen Manipuri women protested naked in front of the Assam Rifles headquarters after the gang-rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama in the custody of the Assam Rifles.The two Draconian laws against which Sharmila is demonstrating in New Delhi are the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the Disturbed Areas Act. Armed with these two laws for Asom, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura, the armed forces have the power (in these four States) to shoot down just anybody even on mere suspicion. These two laws empower even a noncommissioned officer to shoot down any citizen of these four States on suspicion of anti-national or terrorist activities. There is no provision like a magistrate having to be present even somewhere in the vicinity. And it is such Draconian and inhuman provisions for a democracy that have led to countless fake encounters with so-called insurgents. The normal protocol for these four States is that the armed forces shoot down someone on mere suspicion first, and then plant the necessary incriminating evidence like an AK-47 rifle, a Chinese pistol, hand grenades and "incriminating documents" on him thereafter. Likewise, the armed forces can gang-rape and then murder a woman and later claim that she was a terrorist. This is one blatant act of injustice involving no less than human life that is attracting more and more people towards insurgency. These two laws go a long way in taking away the responsibility of accountability from the armed forces. And even when this is done in respect of the armed forces vis-à-vis citizens in a democracy, it is like wilfully turning that democracy into a banana republic.What is amusing about the review of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is that the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee constituted to review the controversial Act has recommended that the legislation be repealed, but only after incorporation of certain features into the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This is like having another law with the features of the black law to be repealed so that the overweening powers given to the armed forces in the four States of the Northeast as also in Jammu & Kashmir continue to be available to the military. This is like passing on to the left hand what we do not like to see in the right hand. Not surprisingly, this suggestion of the Reddy Committee has raised the hackles of all the civil rights groups in Manipur, though one does not see very much of a reaction in the other States where the two black laws are in force as well. If it is the duty of the Centre to protect citizens of every Indian State from external aggression and internal disturbance (responsibilities that the Centre has failed to discharge), it is equally the responsibility of the Centre to put an end to state terrorism and needless brutality with an iron hand.There are many more disturbed areas in the country. Why are such Draconian laws reserved only for some States?
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