Press Statement issued at the Press Meet on 26th
March at Press Club, New Delhi.
For six decades the people of Northeast and J&K are
leading a miserable life under constant terror, persecution and killings under
the boots of the army deployed there in the name of protecting the ‘national
security’. All agreements signed by the government of India with the former
administrations of these areas are flouted. The government refuses to engage in
meaningful discussions to find a political solution to the problems concerning
these regions. So what is prevailing is a state of continuous military rule in
these areas depriving all democratic rights to the people.
From 1958 the government of India has imposed the draconian
Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which violates the Constitutional
provisions and provides the armed forces rights to violate even the existing laws
of the land with immunity. As army is now deployed in the name of training commando
forces in Chathisgarh, the conditions prevailing in Northeast and J&K are
extended to this region also. So, the danger of deploying army and imposing
draconian AFSPA anywhere in the name of suppressing insurgency, ‘left-wing
extremism’ or terrorism is increasing in order to suppress all people’s
movements by dubbing them as extremist acts.
For the last six decades the people of these regions are
struggling continuously against these violations of democratic rights, mass
killings, rape and murder in increasing numbers, detention for long periods,
and other forms of army brutalities. The indefinite fast by Irom Sharmila in
Manipur which has entered the 12th year is a symbol of the struggle
of the people of these regions for the repeal of AFSPA and against policing by
the army. The situation is so bad that in J&K though the police charged 42
cases of murder, gang rape and murder, rapes and torture happened in six months
against army men and FIRs were presented, the central home ministry refused
permission to proceed with them sighting the AFSPA. Whenever the people’s
movements against army atrocities intensify, the government at a number of
times had assured about repealing AFSPA. But the army chiefs have arrogantly
overruled all such possibilities. Moreover it is now spread to more areas.
Whenever the atrocities like the ones perpetuated against
the Tamil people in Sri Lanka take place, the government of India becomes
incapable of doing anything against them as worse incidents of violations of
democratic rights and atrocities by the armed forces are taking place within
the country. So, all its talks about democratic rights in other countries
become hypocritical. In this situation the CPI (ML) along with the struggling
forces in these regions demand the Repeal of AFSPA and Stopping of Policing by
Army forthwith. We demand political solution to the problems in these areas. The
CPI (ML) appeals to all progressive, democratic and left forces to come forward
in support of the struggling peoples of these areas. It appeals to all those
who are fighting against the draconian AFSPA and army atrocities and all those
who support these struggles to join hands and form a platform for joint
struggles so that the movement can be continued more forcefully till the
government agrees to these demands.
K.N.Ramachandran, General Secretary, CPI(ML)
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