FEBRUARY 2ND

By Sarika Rao

February 2^nd, 2011, this was the day my perception of pain and suffering changed. Till that fateful day, my idea of suffering was failing an exam…….or maybe breaking up with my boyfriend. You and me, the 

privileged lot, can't comprehend or even imagine anything worse than that.

February 2^nd set out to be a normal day in college. Classes, assignments, and finally we were to be addressed by some people working in solidarity with Irom Sharmila. It didn't mean much to me, little did I know how much a play by Ojas Suniti Vinay on Sharmila's life would affect me.  Until that day, I never had heard of her. (I'm one of those lesser informed people) and I'm certain I wouldn’t have even heard of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act hadn't it been for our discussions in Journalism class. (now im glad I don't sleep through them!) But it was only after I watched the play that I realized that what I knew about the Act was only what the government wants us to know. What is actually happening in the North Eastern regions and Jammu and Kashmir is an entirely different story, and that story needs to be told.

The Armed Forces Special Powers Act was first introduced in 1958. It was invoked by the Indian Parliament to suppress the rebellion in Nagaland. This act was actually adopted by the British during the Second World War to squish the Japanese advances. It's ironical how the British manage to weasel their way into most Indian controversies! So, basically, the Indian government passed a law that was initially used during war to trample the Naga uprising. This law allows the army to shoot any person on mere suspicion. They are not answerable to the judiciary for their acts. This undermines the fundamental principle of democracy. The reason given on passing such a draconian law was 'these struggles are internal threats to national security'.

Lets examine that. Internal threat to national security.  In our country countless other groups have posed 'threats to national security' but we don’t have the AFSPA there. This act even denies the right to a fair trial! What am I talking about?? They don’t even see a trial! They may be shot on sight on pure suspicion… What if their suspicion was wrong? Won’t anyone stop to think about the consequences of that? Now most of you may wonder, its not my family out there, why should I bother? But let me tell you the issue is national. It's this anti national law that undermines the very foundations of democracy. Today such inhuman laws afflict the north east, tomorrow it will affect your neighbourhood. If you're countries democratic mechanism is rusting you have got to mend it before the machine collapses!

While the rest of us crib that we have power failure for an hour or two everyday,  people in the northeast have electricity for only 2 or three hours per day! While we see the army only during the republic day and independence day marches, they see them everyday! We have an hierarchy of courts to move if any of our rights are denied, there people are denied access to this hierarchy of courts. While we are asleep, a woman and her struggle are rife. Sharmila Irom has single handedly take up the struggle that the whole nation should have taken up.  For the past ten years, she has been fasting, annually arrested, faced a lot of oppression but her challenge remains unchallenged: can the army protect her, as they proved that they can kill her?

Our country is one of the few nations that is believed to have a successful democracy, but I think we have almost 2 billion misinformed people. We provide a democratic governance to a sect of the population while discriminate against others and we hide this racist attitude under a façade! AFSPA is the result of racist attitude, and if left unchecked this weed will destroy our nation.