Title: “Irom Sharmila and her 11 years long Gandhian Hunger Strike in India: Irony in the biggest democracy in the World”
Tentative Date: 21st February 2012
Location: John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
Audience: Scholars at Kennedy School of Government, Selected audience
Objective: To provide a platform by initiating a dialogue among experts for future case studies by scholars who are interested in issues dealing with Conflict Resolution, Human Rights, AFSPA and Sharmila’s struggle for its repeal.
Sponsors: NAMA (North American Manipur Association); HKS India Caucus - an organization of fellows, researchers, scholars and students at the Kennedy school; EMA (European Manipuri Association)
Background: The Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was passed in 1958 by the Government of India for handling “disturbed regions” in the country. This Act has been used in Border States such as Manipur, Jammu & Kashmir and other regions in the North Eastern Region of India (NER).
The Act, in short, gives “Special” powers to the Indian security forces to:
1."Fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law" against "assembly of five or more persons" or possession of deadly weapons.
2. To arrest without a warrant and with the use of "necessary" force anyone who has committed certain offenses or is suspected of having done so.
3. To enter and search any premise in order to make such arrests (without any required warrants).
Human Rights group and legal authorities equally condemn this Act. The Act has been responsible for many innocent lives and injustices in Manipur, Kashmir and the NER. Against such backdrop is the lone struggle of a single woman Irom Sharmila Chanu of Manipur, India. She has been on a non-violent hunger strike for 11 years demanding the repeal of this Act and to preserve the Constitution of India.
Following are potential panelists that NAMA plans to invite for the event:
1. BPradyot Bikram Manikya Deb Barma, Chairman & Editor, The Northeast Today Magazine, Royal House of Tripura
2. Binalakshmi Nepram, Manipur Women Guns Survivor Network, New Delhi, India
3. Babloo Loitongbam, Human Rights Activist, Imphal, Manipur, India
4. Somi Roy, Film & Media Curator, Hun-tré! International Manipur Projects
Footnote: This symposium is neither a campaign against the Manipur state government nor a step of activism with regards to AFSPA. It is an earnest attempt to discuss the struggle of humanity that the iron lady, Irom Sharmila Chanu has been fighting for 11 long years and to bring forth ideas to resolve the conflict situation. NAMA is a Non-Profit Organization and is apolitical in all its activities as laid down in its constitution. A live streaming of the event will be done.
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