Gandhian Intervention and the AFSPA in Northeast India: The Case of Irom Chanu Sharmila

Abstract

Political violence and conflicts have been predominant features in Northeast India which comprises the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Tripura, and Sikkim. Resistances in many states arose to counter the perceived loss of land, demographic change, and political, cultural, and economic marginalization of indigenous communities. Some of the resistances had arisen due to the harboring of national visions by groups in Northeast India which were inimical to the visions held by those in the centers of power in the country. There have also been interventions, either official or unofficial or both to resolve these conflicts and violence. Some of these interventions are inspired by Gandhian principles of conflict resolution. This paper intends to provide an insight into one of the Gandhian interventions in Northeast India and discusses Irom Chanu Sharmila’s sixteen years long fast to have AFSPA repealed.

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 In 1940 Gandhi called for individual Satyagraha to express objection for entangling colonial India in a War of imperialist nature. The third Saadulla ministry (1937–1941) of Muslim League in Assam supported the British Government in the War. The Congress legislators of the state, on the other hand, stopped participating in the sessions of the Assembly and converted Assam Pradesh (Provincial) Congress Committee to Satyagraha Committee. In the meantime, the issue of immigration became acute in Assam as the Saadulla Ministry followed problematic land settlement and immigration policy. Therefore, the Working Committee of Congress advised the Congress leaders in Assam to continue participating in Assembly to counter the Muslim League instead of engaging in Satyagraha (Bardoloi 1951, 37–38 and Guha 1977, 264–281).

2 The Cabinet Mission (1946), which worked on a formula for India’s independence recommended that the provinces to be clubbed in three groups. So, it was proposed that Assam would join Group C which also included Muslim majority Bengal. This proposal rightly raised the concern that Assam would be handed over to East Pakistan in the time of Independence; so, Gopinath Bardoloi and other leaders timely intervened to avert that (Bardoloi 1951, 42 and Hazarika 2022).

3 The family of Thangjam Manorama was forced to sign a ‘No Claims Certificate’ when the 17th Assam Rifles personnel picked her up from home. Her mutilated body was later discovered; there were knife wounds and bullet marks, especially in the lower part of her body, presumably to cover that she was raped and assaulted. ‘Committee against the Brutal Killing of Th Manorama Devi by 17 AR,’ constituted by citizens, activists and intellectuals, after a thorough investigation concluded that Manorama was innocent and had no connection with any insurgent groups (Mehrotra 2009, 92–93).

4 The 8^th Assam Rifles at Malom claimed that they were attacked by Extremist at their camp. Hence, they carried out the self-styled revenge by killing ten innocent civilians waiting patiently for their bus. Such extra judicial killings, fake encounters also happened in many places in the North East region, i.e., 1994 encounter in Dhola in Tinsukia, Operation Blue Bird at Oinam in 1980s. Recent killings of 14 civilians in the Mon district of Nagaland is proof that the paramilitary forces do not ascertain the identity of civilians before opening fire on them. Santosh Hegde Commission (2013) after probing six encounters found them to be fake (Mehrotra 2009 and Deccan Herald 2016).

5 Irom Chanu Sharmila was arrested immediately after she commenced her fast. She was accused of ‘Attempt to Suicide,’ a punishable offence under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Thus started a saga of arrest, release and rearrest for next sixteen years. Although a Sessions Court in Manipur ruled in her favour by stating that hunger strike is a legitimate means of protest and not equivalent to attempts of suicide, she spent most of her times in the security wings of one after another hospital. She was also given opportunities to avail bail by furnishing personal bond, which she refused to do as it meant she had to agree to not continue her ‘crime’ (Mehrotra 2009 and Ngaihte 2015).

6 Meira Paibi translates to women who carry flaming torches. Women are strong force of dissent and social reform in Manipur. Meira Paibi also called as Imas or Mothers of Manipur emerged as a collective force in 1970s to fight alcoholism in the state by marching at night carrying flaming torches. Eventually they started fighting for human rights and demilitarization in the region. They had extended support and showed solidarity to Irom Chanu Sharmila from the very beginning of her fast (Mehrotra 2009, 46–47).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Obja Borah Hazarika

Obja Borah Hazarika teaches in the Department of Political Science, Dibrugarh University, Assam, India. Her research areas include international relations and border studies with a focus on Northeast India. Email: [email protected]

Chandan Kumar Sarma

Chandan Kumar Sarma teaches History at Dibrugarh University, Assam, India. His research focus is on Gandhian Studies and Historiography. Email: [email protected]

Linamee Das

Linamee Das teaches in the Department of Political Science, Dibrugarh University, Assam, India. Her focus areas include International Relations and Peace and Conflict Studies. Email: [email protected]