The Iron Lady of Manipur, who has been on hunger strike for 11 years against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, is an ordinary woman fighting an extraordinary struggle, finds Sumit Bhattacharya.
Without pointing to any political party or organisation, he alleged that some vested elements were hell-bent upon creating an atmosphere of mistrust against Army and advocating revocation of Armed Forces Special Powers Act and recalling army back to barracks.
Supporting Omar Abdullah's demand for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said the chief minister is "the boss" in the state and the Centre should take his views on the controversial Act.
In the first part of this interview with Bula Singh, former home secretary G K Pillai had talked about why AFSPA need not be repealed immediately but the Disturbed Areas Act should be lifted in Kashmir. In the second and concluding part of the interview, he explains that no one wants to take a risk or bite the proverbial bullet in Kashmir, fearing that the situation might implode again.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has sought sanction from the Centre for the prosecution of armymen under the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in 41 cases of human rights violation in the state. "The Jammu and Kashmir home department has sought sanction from the central government for the prosecution of army personnel under AFSPA in 41 cases since 1990," a senior army officer of Northern Command told PTI. A total of 41 cases have been received by the central government.
The AFSPA was being "unnecessarily demonised" although it had "nothing to do with the present unrest (in Kashmir)", General Singh said while firmly sticking to his opposition to any withdrawal or even dilution of the Act which gives the Army vast powers to deal with insurgents.
Holding that the government has to have courage to take a decision on the issue of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday questioned the need for "protection" to the army in areas where they have not operated for years.
Amid reports that the army is opposed to withdrawal of controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from some areas of Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief General V K Singh on Thursday said the issue is under the purview of the home ministry. He said the army has already given its inputs on the issue.
The Cabinet Committee on Security is meeting in New Delhi on Friday, two days after the return of an all-party delegation from Jammu and Kashmir.
LJP supremo Ramvilas Paswan on Thursday said he favoured autonomy for Kashmir and withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the region.
Amid a raging debate on the dilution of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and its partial withdrawal from Kashmir, Army chief General V K Singh on Saturday said the AFSPA was an 'enabling provision' and not 'arbitrary'. The army has given its views on the issue and the government will take the "correct decision," he said.General Singh also said there have been more infiltration attempts into Jammu and Kashmir in the last two months and did not rule out 'some methods'.
I thank the prime minister for calling this meeting. Before I begin I want to express my deep sense of sorrow at the continuing loss of life in Kashmir. I share the anguish of those who have lost their loved ones, and my heart goes out especially to the parents and families of children who have died.
Amid demands for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from their state, Kashmiri Pandits on Wednesday opposed any such move and asked the Centre to take the views of all shades of opinion of the state before deciding on any major issue related to the state.
Distressed over the events in Jammu and Kashmir, Dr Singh said the government was willing to talk to anybody or any group but asserted that it could not happen till the end of violence, some of which is "orchestrated by certain groups".
Official sources said the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) could be held in the evening and if political parties want, an all-party delegation might also go to Jammu and Kashmir. The all-party meet is scheduled for 11:30 on Wednesday morning, a decision for which was taken after the Monday's CCS meeting.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has threatened to resign in the wake of the government's decision to call an all party meeting on Wednesday on the issue of repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the valley. "I will have to think whether to continue as chief minister of the state or not. Let my party president Dr Farooq Abdullah return and we will discuss the situation," Omar said.
Ahead of a crucial meeting of the Centre on Kashmir, state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony to seek their support on the partial withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from the state. Sources said Omar had met Mukherjee late on Wednesday night at the latter's residence for about half-an-hour, during which the chief minister presented his case for withdrawal of the AFSPA.
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will on Wednesday convene the Cabinet Committee on Security meet to discuss the current crisis prevailing in the Kashmir Valley.
The solidarity demonstration and the fast is being organised by rights activists to attract global glare on the unabated human rights violation in the conflict zone of the Northeast by security forces empowered by the AFSPA.
Magsaysay Award winner and social activist Sandeep Pandey on Wednesday rued continued imposition of 'draconian' Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other 'black laws' in conflict-ridden north-east India and Jammu and Kashmir.
Dr Singh said a number of assurances made by him during his previous visit to the state two years back have been kept.
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Sunday said that the Centre has decided to institute a five-member committee to look into withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 from the northeastern state.
The latter have been demanding withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act citing atrocities by security forces.
The state government declared closure of all educational institutions on Wednesday to prevent the students from carrying out their protest.
The 32 organisations spearheading the stir against AFSPA have separately called a 14-hour Manipur valley bandh.
Security forces have also been deployed at various places in view of the agitation launched yesterday by 32 organisations spearheading the month-long stir to press for lifting the Armed Forces Special Powers Act
The Bharatiya Janata Party and Peoples Democratic Party are "trying hard" to find a common ground on issues like Article 370 and Armed Forces Special Powers Act on which the two parties have traditionally held different views, a senior leader of BJP said on Saturday.
The move prompted a strong reaction from the Congress, with its state unit chief Ajay Kumar Lallu equating it with the 1919 Rowlatt Act or Black Act and saying that the party will explore legal options to challenge it.
'Students cannot sit calmly in classrooms and study in the prevailing situation,' a joint statement issued by various student bodies said.
The protestors pelted stones at the Singjamei police station on Tuesday night.
Sharmila, who contested from Thoubal constituency against Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh was relegated to the fourth position.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met in New Delhi on Monday to discuss a package for Jammu and Kashmir hit by a fresh bout of violence since Eid last Saturday.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and People's Democratic Party patron Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has linked the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and reduction in the number of deployed troops to the ongoing peace process.
Many people will be fasting in Imphal, Manipur from September 13 while hundreds from different countries in the world have signed the petition to fast for varying number of days (one to five) to support the 'Iron lady' from Manipur -- Irom Sharmila.
'Iron Lady of Manipur' Irom Sharmila, who has been on a fast for the past eight years to demand the withdrawal of the controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur, has been re-arrested, police said on Tuesday. Sharmila, who was released on March 7 by a local court, was re-arrested on Monday on charges of attempted suicide, after she went on hunger-strike again, they said.Sharmila had begun her fast unto death in 2001.
"I am optimistic of some tangible movement forward on these crucial issues in the coming days," Mufti told PDP functionaries in Srinagar.
The government on Wednesday said that time was "not appropriate" for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Jammu and Kashmir.
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