Elections to wash the "June-Sin"

The present situation in Kashmir is unlikely to pacify due to a certain speech by the Prime Minister. However it was heartening to learn that the Indian Authorities are making an attempt to calm the boiling blood of the Valley.

In an Urdu speech broadcasted on the 10th of June in the Valley, the Prime Minister is seen to have come out in the open for the first time since 11th August. Some Credit has to go to Mr Jaitley, the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, who unequivocally criticised the Prime Minister for his "Conspiracy of Silence" on the issue ever since 11th June, in the morning, on the floor of the House. The least that can be expected from the leader of the government, while regular curfews have become a way of life in a part of the country is some concern and an attempt to solve the issue. And silence hardly encourages any of these steps from being taken. However even though two months late, but finally the Prime Minister has come out in the open and have issued a statement regarding the situation in Kashmir. As some would say "better late than never". Cant comment on the validity of such excuses when it comes to the responsibilities of the nation on its Prime Minister though!!

However the "Late Speech", a welcome effort, from the Prime Minister bases itself on two major contentions. Firstly he proposes the idea of early Local Elections in Kashmir to bolster the faith of the population on its government and secondly he wants to encourage the Kashmiri youth into Indian Politics, through the youth wings of different political parties enjoying some sort of relevance in Kashmir. Even though it is a welcome effort by the Prime Minister but it portrays his failure to understand the cause behind such mass uproar.

Certain Facts to this Effect:

1. It all started when a 17 year old local lad named Tufail Ahmed Mattoo died on his way back from the Friday prayers after being hit by a tear gas shell shot by the CRPF on June 11. ( Does anybody remember the Jalianwallah Masacre?)
2. June 12th Rafiq Ahmed Bangaroo beaten to death by CRPF near his residence.
3. Sopore witnesses brutal murder of Shakeel Ghanai and Firdous Khan aged 17 and 18 years respectively on June 25.
4. 22 year old Bilawal Ahmed Wani shot in Sopore just two days later.
5. A day later, Tajamul Bashir(20) and Tauqeer Rather(9) were killed in Delina and Sopore
6. Following day CRPF firing kills Ishtiyaq Ahmed(15), Imtiyaz Ahmed Itoo(17) and Shujat ul Islam(17)

Ten young kashmiris murdered in less than 20 days is the ground reality in Kashmir and the Prime Minister wants to involve the Kashmiri youth in politics. The dead surely cant join and so goes their interest if any, and for the ones who are surviving them are surely not encouraged by the reality. May be they still cannot appreciate the factual situation in a rather ignorant way, the privilege to which lies only with the Prime Minister.

And more importantly the State needs to understand that elections can't wash away the sin committed by this disregard towards Human Blood. It is an earnest request that, the irresponsible field commanders of these CRPF regiments be brought to justice immediately as that is the only way that some faith could be reposed in the Valley.

The ruthless legislature

India has been far from being a welfare state since 1947 even though, that was the actual promise. However post independence India has commited certain inhumaine faults that has plunged the nations history in depths of guilt to which the present Indian administration seems rather ignorant.

One such incident was when we disregarded all International Laws and forcibly annexed the State of Manipur to our Union. Manipur got its independence at the same time along with India and Pakistan. The nation swore to a new Constitution and had their first general elections in 1948 which was four years ahead of India. The Previous ruler Bodhachandra was sworn in as the new Constitutional Head and his own brother was democratically elected the Prime Minister by the voice of the mandate. India had previously promised to safe gaurd Manipur's interest in the fields of defence, but this promise seemed to last for a short while with V.B. Patel realising the startegic importance of Manipur as a border region between India and China. And with this realisation the dirty game began. On one hand India posed as Manipur's best friend and on the other it was initiating plans to wreck the democratic harmony of Manipur from within. Finally when Bodhachandra planned to meet the Governor of Assam in 1949, to settle all disputes his advisors had strongly reccomended against it, but he preferred to deal with faith in his Inidan counterparts which never got its due reciprocation. He was put under house-arrest and later coerced to sign the annexation treaty.

This is how we disgraced the same principles, based on which we fought for two hundred years advocating the right to self determination and sovereignity. It was ironical to see us forget, what we so strongly subscribed to for two hundred years in just two years of achieving independence.

But this was just a start of the tyrany that would soon sweep the life of our fellow Manipuri brothers and sisters. The next thing that the Indian authorities did was passed a legislation known as A.F.S.P.A better known as Armed Forces (Special Power) Act. This Act sought to equip the Army with special powers facilitating the process to crush the insurgency. But how? was the golden question that was never asked. It gave members of the army, power to shoot any suspect without any fear of being prosecuted. It also sought to immune the military from any prosecution even if they break into any housesold at any time of the day and indulge into random searches. Cant talk about the success rate of the Act in crushing the movement but it has surely succeeded in gaurding pervert officials of the state machinery when they rape the women over there.

A few years ago a group of women posed nude on the streets, in front of the Assam Rifles building holding posters that said "Indian Army rape us". A Lady has been on fast for ten years protesting against this gruesome piece of legislation and demanding the repealment of the Act. But that does not seem to be neccessary for the Indian Authorities as long as they can put Sharmila Irom on arrest and forcibly feed her through a pipe up her nostrils.

It is hightime that the Indian Authorities wake up to moral uprightness and repeal this Act which has terrorised the common Manipuri for the last forty years. Their hearts could have easily been won by taking interest in their development and not only their land. It was a wrong move that demands immediate correction otherwise we end up leaving our own constitution futile. This Act violates the principles of right to life guaranteed under Article 21 in inumerable ways.

Today it is a dual between the existence of this Act and the sustenance of the spirit of our Constitution.