Wednesday 10 August 2016

Press Release: Solidarity Action for Irom Sharmila in Delhi

10 August 2016, New Delhi

 

Press Release 

 

A solidarity action expressing deep respect for Irom Sharmila and supporting the ongoing struggle for justice by civil society in Manipur, was organized at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi, on 9 August. The solidarity event saw a large turn-out of over a hundred people, despite rainy weather. 

 

Participants included women's movement activists Shanti, Runu Chakraborty and Nandini Rao; author of Irom Sharmila's biography "Burning Bright" Deepti Priya Mehrotra; human rights activists Devika Mittal, Ravi Nitesh, Shruti Achesh and Rita Manchanda; historian Uma Chakravarty; Monisha Behl of North-East Network; senior journalists Pamela Philipose and Sujata Madhok (President, Delhi Union of Working Journalists); Servants of the People Society Trustee, octogenarian Shri Satya Paul; Activist Dipak Dholakia, NAPM (National Alliance of People's Movements) activists Shabnam and Vimal bhai; theatre activists Nisha and Afaqullah (he came from Faizabad, U.P, and joined in singing IPTA songs); R.Geetha of Penuramma Iyakkam, Chennai; Sagari Ramdas and Madhoo who work with tribal groups in Andhra Pradesh;  labor activist Rakhi Sehgal; academicians Mary John, Felix Padel and Anuradha Marwah Roy; NGOs Sama and Saheli; students from JNU, Delhi University, South Asia University; and several others. The solidarity action was organised by two autonomous groups, Sampurna Trust and Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign.

 

The people gathered sang movement songs -- songs of struggle, such as `Tu zinda hai to zindagi ki jeet mein yakeen kar' and `Khamoshi todo vaqt aa gaya'. Several persons have been inspired by Sharmila over the years, and this was evident in the energy of the gathering. Some read out poems they have written about Sharmila, including Sagari Chhabra: "You resist violence by denying yourself taste/ Make haste, oh world, listen to this voice…." 

 

The gathering noted that on 9 August 1942, the British government arrested Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders, and on 15 August 1942, it promulgated the Armed Forced Special Powers Ordinance, to quell the Quit India movement. In 1958, the Indian government promulgated the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), and subsequently imposed it in several parts of the country. People in Manipur, including human rights and women activists, are struggling for AFSPA to be repealed. The Act perpetuates violation of fundamental democratic rights by granting excessive powers, and impunity, to armed forces. Recently, the Supreme Court of India ruled that over 1,500 cases of alleged `fake encounters' in Manipur are to be thoroughly investigated; the first six cases investigated have all been proved to be fake encounters: killing of innocent persons, by armed forces or police commandos.  

 

The people gathered agreed that "humane, democratic solutions are needed to solve real problems faced by people; dialogue rather than repression." Each person lit a candle or a diya, as a mark of the continuing struggle for justice, peace and democracy in Manipur and the rest of the country. It is not necessary for one person to take the struggle onto her shoulders: the burden is shared by others in civil society. The group noted, "We care for democracy, peace, good governance and justice, and feel that we are all responsible for helping to bring this about. We need to listen, learn, and together search for ways to move ahead, to actually resolve many very difficult situations."

Press Release by  Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign & Sampurna Trust 

or any further information, contact 9958907799 (Ravi Nitesh) or 
9711793492 (Deepti Priya Mehrotra)




--
Regards,
 
Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign
(A joint initiative of various organizations & movements)
Facebook: Groups/savesharmilacampaign

 
We welcome your participation/suggestion/feedbacks. 

Monday 8 August 2016

INVITE: 9 August, 2.30 to 6.30 p.m., at Jantar Mantar: Solidarity Action with Irom Sharmila & Democratic Movements for Justice & Peace

9 August 2016: Marking Solidarity
2.30 to 6.30 p.m.: at Jantar Mantar
We hope to reflect on our own politics and ethics... on freedom, justice, peace... democracy... with songs, poetry, music, drawings, ... Some may want to fast during the day, in solidarity with Irom Sharmila's long fast. We would light candles, before we leave, ... towards the future.  



9 August 2016: A Day of Reflection

Reaffirming Solidarity -- Towards Justice, Peace, and Hope

   Today, Irom Sharmila makes a move towards freedom, by giving up her fast, which has lasted nearly 16 years. We feel deep respect for Irom Sharmila's non-violent struggle and her indomitable spirit, and support her decision to give up the fast. The struggle for peace and justice will continue.

    On 9 August, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders of the Quit India movement were arrested. The British government promulgated the Armed Forced Special Powers Ordinance on 15 August 1942, to quell the Quit India movement.

   The government of India promulgated the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958; and subsequently imposed it in several parts of the country. People in Manipur, including Imas (`mothers': elderly women activists), Meira Paibis (women's groups, literally women holding `mashaals'), and many civil society groups, are struggling for AFSPA to be repealed, in the interests of peace and justice. They want good governance to be restored in the state. Experts argue that the Act perpetuates violation of fundamental democratic rights. It grants excessive powers, and impunity, to armed forces. Atrocities against ordinary citizens have been documented over the years.

     In 2012, the Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) filed a PIL in the Supreme Court of India, alleging 1,528 fake encounters in Manipur since the 1980s. The Court ordered investigation into six cases, all of which were proved to be fake encounters: killing of innocent persons, by armed forces or police commandos. The Court has ruled that all the remaining cases must be thoroughly probed. It has questioned impunity, ruling that armed forces cannot use excessive force even in areas that come under AFSPA.





    Humane, democratic solutions are needed to solve real problems faced by people; dialogue rather than repression. We stand in solidarity with democratic people's movements in Manipur, and elsewhere in the country -- being waged today by dalits, women, minorities, workers, people with disabilities, sexuality rights activists, and other marginalised sections. We -- ordinary people, students, teachers, feminists, activists -- care for democracy and human rights, peace and good governance, accountability and justice.  We feel that we are all responsible for helping to bring this about. We need to listen, learn, and together search for ways to move ahead, to actually resolve many very difficult situations. 


    We propose 9 August 2016, as a day of reflection: upon our own ethics and politics, upon freedom, justice, peace -- and hope. We will sit together that day, in quiet companionship. We will sit at Jantar Mantar -- from 2.30 to 6.30 p.m. Do join! We may sing some songs, read poetry, draw, sit in a circle, talk…; some may want to fast for the day, they could break their fast at 6. We would like to light candles as it gets dark. We are not planning this as a protest. Rather, a moment of quiet solidarity.

-          Shanti, Deepti Priya, Runu Chakraborty, Nandini Rao, Shraddha Chikerur, Uma Chakravarthy, Ravi Nitesh, Devika Mittal, Sampurna Trust, Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, Ninglun Hanghal, Felix Padel, Malvika Gupta, Dhruva Narayan, Sunita Kumari ….

Please feel free to forward this to others who may be interesting in joining on the 9th. And, do bring along poetry, umbrella, mats, water, candle, posters, or anything else you'd like to share. This is a spontaneous action with no central organizing committee; your participation helps lend it meaning!







--
Regards,
 
Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign
(A joint initiative of various organizations & movements)
Facebook: Groups/savesharmilacampaign

 
We welcome your participation/suggestion/feedbacks. 

PRESS INVITE: 9 August, 2.30 to 6.30 p.m., at Jantar Mantar: Solidarity Action with Irom Sharmila & Democratic Movements for Justice & Peace

9 August 2016: Marking Solidarity
2.30 to 6.30 p.m.: at Jantar Mantar
We hope to reflect on our own politics and ethics... on freedom, justice, peace... democracy... with songs, poetry, music, drawings, ... Some may want to fast during the day, in solidarity with Irom Sharmila's long fast. We would light candles, before we leave, ... towards the future.  



9 August 2016: A Day of Reflection

Reaffirming Solidarity -- Towards Justice, Peace, and Hope

   Today, Irom Sharmila makes a move towards freedom, by giving up her fast, which has lasted nearly 16 years. We feel deep respect for Irom Sharmila's non-violent struggle and her indomitable spirit, and support her decision to give up the fast. The struggle for peace and justice will continue.

    On 9 August, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders of the Quit India movement were arrested. The British government promulgated the Armed Forced Special Powers Ordinance on 15 August 1942, to quell the Quit India movement.

   The government of India promulgated the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958; and subsequently imposed it in several parts of the country. People in Manipur, including Imas (`mothers': elderly women activists), Meira Paibis (women's groups, literally women holding `mashaals'), and many civil society groups, are struggling for AFSPA to be repealed, in the interests of peace and justice. They want good governance to be restored in the state. Experts argue that the Act perpetuates violation of fundamental democratic rights. It grants excessive powers, and impunity, to armed forces. Atrocities against ordinary citizens have been documented over the years.

     In 2012, the Extra Judicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) filed a PIL in the Supreme Court of India, alleging 1,528 fake encounters in Manipur since the 1980s. The Court ordered investigation into six cases, all of which were proved to be fake encounters: killing of innocent persons, by armed forces or police commandos. The Court has ruled that all the remaining cases must be thoroughly probed. It has questioned impunity, ruling that armed forces cannot use excessive force even in areas that come under AFSPA.





    Humane, democratic solutions are needed to solve real problems faced by people; dialogue rather than repression. We stand in solidarity with democratic people's movements in Manipur, and elsewhere in the country -- being waged today by dalits, women, minorities, workers, people with disabilities, sexuality rights activists, and other marginalised sections. We -- ordinary people, students, teachers, feminists, activists -- care for democracy and human rights, peace and good governance, accountability and justice.  We feel that we are all responsible for helping to bring this about. We need to listen, learn, and together search for ways to move ahead, to actually resolve many very difficult situations. 


    We propose 9 August 2016, as a day of reflection: upon our own ethics and politics, upon freedom, justice, peace -- and hope. We will sit together that day, in quiet companionship. We will sit at Jantar Mantar -- from 2.30 to 6.30 p.m. Do join! We may sing some songs, read poetry, draw, sit in a circle, talk…; some may want to fast for the day, they could break their fast at 6. We would like to light candles as it gets dark. We are not planning this as a protest. Rather, a moment of quiet solidarity.

-          Shanti, Deepti Priya, Runu Chakraborty, Nandini Rao, Shraddha Chikerur, Uma Chakravarthy, Ravi Nitesh, Devika Mittal, Sampurna Trust, Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, Ninglun Hanghal, Felix Padel, Malvika Gupta, Dhruva Narayan, Sunita Kumari ….

Please feel free to forward this to others who may be interesting in joining on the 9th. And, do bring along poetry, umbrella, mats, water, candle, posters, or anything else you'd like to share. This is a spontaneous action with no central organizing committee; your participation helps lend it meaning!