It started with a killing of 10 civilians, including the 18 yr old Sinam Chandramani, a 1988 Indian Child Bravery Award winner, in the Imphal Valley by the Armed forces, who were just waiting for their bus.Though many agitated against this Malom Massacre, no actions can be taken because of the provisions of the AFSPA Act.
This ignited the 28 yr old Irom Sharmila to protest, but in a peaceful way of hunger strike on 4th November, 2000.Three days after her hunger strike, she was arrested on the charge of attempt to commit suicide.Since then every year she will be released and rearrested within 48 hours of her release, as Sec 309 IPC provides for only a year imprisonment for 'attempt to commit suicide'.Till date she has been kept alive thru Nasogastric Intubation.
On May, 2007, Sharmila was awarded the South Korea's highest human rights award of 'Gwangju Prize for Human Rights' consisting a cash award of 51 lacs and a citation, which was received by her brother on her behalf. She has been rightly called as the 'Iron Lady of Manipur'.
Sec 4 - Any commissioned office, warrant office, non-commissioned officer or any other person of equivalent rank in the Armed Forces may, in a disturbed area,
(a) if he is of opinion that it is necessary so to do for the maintenance of public order, after giving such due warning as he may consider necessary, fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person acting in contravention of any law or order for the time being in force ...........
(c) arrest, without warrant, any person who has committed cognisable offence or against whom a reasonable suspicion exist that he has committed or is about to commit a cognisable offence ......
Sec 6 -No prosecution, suit or other legal proceeding shall be instituted, except with the previous sanction of the Central Government against any person in respect of anything done or purported to be done in exercise of the powers conferred by this Act.
Yes, as we or anyone we know are not the victims, we could think rationally and understand the position of the Armed Forces.But it should also be agreed rationally that 'absolute power corrupts absolutely'.
Why don't the Govt. spend our good money on some new technologies/sensors for some mile radius, that would identify terrorist or some problematic people.If mosquitoes can identify us with the smell of corbon-di-oxide been exhaled, can't our sensors/senses do?Its high time that Govt. thinks of some new-age solution to handle terrorism/rebels.
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