Enthusiasm is excitement with inspiration, motivation, and a pinch of creativity. The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails. Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.

If you don't create change, change will create you. Change starts when someone sees the next step and the first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance. Many fine things can be done in a day if you don't always make that day tomorrow. You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action.

Sometimes it's the smallest decisions with larger aims that can change the lives of many. If our attempts can at least become a spark. We are really grateful and the TEAM can proudly proclaim ‘MISSION ACCOMPLISHED’.

If you can LEND A HELPING HAND for the advancement of our country and its people be part of our ENDEAVOR.


Monday, October 24, 2011

ANNA & IROM are the two sides of the same coin

        Why the Govt. always gets a 'HEAD', whenever a political coin is  deliberately tossed?


By: Arjun.R.Shankar



Since the past 11 years, the Indian govt. has terribly failed to show sensitivity and consideration to Irom Sharmila, the Iron Lady of Manipur who has pledged her life for a valid and humanitarian cause. Over the years the govt. has done nothing to assuage her demands and has done only harm to her demands and her inner self. Irom Sharmila’s silent resilience has been totally ignored.


Her endless courageous gesture stands for the welfare of the humanity. The most amusing question an average Indian poses is “Why the govt. always gets a head, whenever a political coin is deliberately tossed?  What makes Anna special and gives him a cardinal edge? Satyagaraha and hunger strikes in our country are perceived as pristine endeavour as it was used as a strong weapon in liberating our country from the foreign yoke. Gandhiji used this weapon effectively and since then a lot of leaders and people have emulated and adopted these principles to fight various forms of injustice.

Anna and Irom are the two sides of the coin called Satyagraha and still why is Irom’s problem not acknowledged. Anna Hazare could easily garner the public support and emerged as an energetic pied piper. Anna has been hogging the public limelight with zeal and vigour and his abrupt stardom even earned him the epithet ‘Second Gandhi’. The tasks, objectives and the methodology of both of them have the same colour and have many binding common factors. But the critical point lies in the content and goals of both of them that leaves the issues at crossroads.

The govt. fears Anna and his movement, not because of the novelty of his demands but due to the large support base of the people. Anna had tossed an anti graft smoke grenade single handedly into the fray and the smoke had successfully billowed outwards to consume the entire country. In the euphoric triumph of Anna, Irom’s decade long crusade was treated with contemptuous disregard. How can the govt. blatantly expunge the demands of extraordinary struggle by an extraordinary lady who has emulated Gandhian ideas? Her forceful detention and her annual ritual of releasing her to get re arrested is nothing but the mockery of humanity.


The whole issue opens a larger debate over the mettle of AFSPA. The govt. should not allow lawlessness and atrocities to take place in the name of internal security measures. Violence and arbitrary actions cannot be condoned at any cost. The AFSPA allows the army to use force, shoot or arrest anyone without warrant on the mere suspicion that someone has committed or is about to commit a cognizable offence. The act also prohibits any legal or judicial proceedings against any personnel without the sanction of the central govt. The govt. in 2004 constituted a committee under Justice B.P Jeevan Reddy to review the provisions of AFSPA and suggest a replacement if there is a need. But the  govt. has terribly failed in this front to take concrete action on the findings of the committee.

Hazare’s success gives the impression that the govt. can only be succumbed to pressure through a non violent movement at the national level which seems to be non violent movement but inherently has the potential to become a violent movement at the base level and can slowly reach the top echelons in its full fledged form. This varied character and proportionality of the movement has instilled fear in the minds of the govt. The govt. knows the consequences and repercussions of not responding to Anna Hazare.


Irom Sharmila in the true sense has failed to effectively pressurize the government, the sole reason for which she has been shrugged off. Anna got people support because people are more aware of the trails and travails of the humongous corruption and many of them have their own experiences and are victims of corruption and corrupt activities. It is like a sustaining gas like oxygen and exists everywhere and sustains innumerable people. Under all these circumstances, people are fed up with the whole affair of corruption and vociferously demanded a cleanup and an overhaul of the system.Anna got endorsements from various celebrities, social activists, sports persons, politicians etc. The people created a massive anti graft crusade in the technological domain giving it maximum publicity. All these are important factors which Irom’s crusade doesn’t possess at least when compared to like Anna’s scale. 


In spite of all this we should not ignore the aspirations and sentiments of our brothers and sisters of North East. There is a serious information deficit regarding the North East. The plight and various happenings are not hitting the media and public. More stories and issues of North East should reach the common people and the media should end its Anna frenzy and give more space to their aspirations.


And it should be kept in mind that every state has its own solid reasons for insurgency and that should be identified and tackled meticulously with appropriate measures rather than giving the same pill- AFSPA to all the states. The govt. has the moral responsibility to come up with an amicable solution to get rid of the draconian AFSPA. Irom Sharmila should be acknowledged because her endless courageous demands stand for the welfare of the humanity.

4 comments:

  1. Hi arjun,
    A well written article which calls for much needed support to the Iron Lady of the North-East. It is very sad that Anna's movement has to take place in the national level to recognize the struggle of Irom Sharmila to remove the AFSPA act. Any kind of non-violent protest like fasting should get strong public support to get the message across. As u have said, the cause taken up should have affected every one of us to strengthen the fight. North Eastern states are comparatively neglected places and the voices from there will not be loud enough to reach the centre. Even today, Iam sure many of the people do not know why she is fasting for eleven years. If AFSPA act had spread like corruption(do not wish like that, though), Irom Sharmila would not have undergone this torture for so long. What she needs is the strong public support to raise her voice. Is our Government listening?? Good tribute to this Iron Lady....
    Deepa.

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  2. Good Arjun
    Aptly put - 'potentially violent Anna campaign'. We also witnessed many opposition parties at the national and state levels coming in supporting Anns's cmapaign. Unfortunately, there is not much scope for any political drama surrounding Irom Sharmila!!!

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  4. Hi young engines, just over a year later you have that outpouring of people power again in the Delhi gang rape and murder. Another judicial commission has asked for amendment of AFSPA and review of how a temporary legislation has continued for over 60 years continuously. I doubt the Veerma report will be taken up by Parliament they must have been surprised it concluded so quickly. The Army has already responded that as stakeholders they need to be consulted not parliament and not the people. How many battalions has the Supreme Court. They might be shamed into backing down on the removal of the protection of their soldiers from sexual crimes against women. But at present the Law Minister claims its complicated and he won't second guess the military's needs, presumambly so long as these needs are confined to the North East. She has a quieter campaign. She has few real supporters. She is bailed to appear in Delhi Patiala Court 6 in the morning of 4th march 2013 but no one will turn up to support her. She may not be allowed to leave the prison hospital ward in Imphal. In Imphal no one turns up to her fortnightly bail hearings apart from a few police stooges. I don't believe confrontation with the Military is helpful. Instead let parliament offer them better weapons and equipment in their fight against whatever they are fighting. Helicopters Satellite Intel support, and amphibious craft for Loktak Lake. Give the General a field Marshal's baton and reward some of his staff with Padmas. Then repeal AFSPA and treat Indian citizens as Citizens. India after independence has managed to abuse the north east more than the British Empire. If the Indian Army cannot maintain peace and security in the region then India should abandon its colonial system. Offer Manipur to the UN and ask NATO to patrol until Manipuris are able to take responsibility for themselves. Or repeal AFSPA and grant liberation to Manipur also. deziecoutinho@yahoo.co.uk Desmond Coutinho

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