Skip to content Skip to navigation

Protest against AFSPA

By Bg Gogoi |

North-East Forum for International Solidarity (NEFIS), in discussion with Irom Sharmila, organized a twelve-hour hunger strike to mark the 15th year of her heroic struggle against Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) on Monday. It is to be noted that on November 2, 2000 a terrible tragedy shook the state of Manipur when 10 civilians were shot dead by paramilitary forces at a local bus-stop in Malom, Manipur. Among the deceased was an 18-year old National Bravery Award winner. The massacre triggered angry protests across Manipur and led to Irom Sharmila going on her epic fast a few days later. Justice, however, continues to be denied in the case of the Malom massacre and many other such cases. Meanwhile, Irom Sharmila continues to be heckled by cases filed against her and periodic arrests. NEFIS has hence pledged to take forward the nation-wide struggle against the draconian and anti-people Armed Forces Special Powers Act.

NEFIS successfully organized the twelve-hour hunger strike across various cities, among which were Kokrajhar, Karbi Anglong, Delhi, Gwalior, Bangalore, Chandigarh, Kokrajhar (Assam), etc. A sit-in protest along with the hunger strike was organized at KDSA Volleyball Ground(Kokrajhar) today where large numbers of NEFIS members, Students from different communities, as well as representatives from various progressive and democratic organizations collected to condemn the enforcement of the long abused Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Professors from various colleges too supported the hunger strike. Students representing different communities called for a collective struggle against this draconian law.

It should be noted that AFSPA has been enforced in parts of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as in the North East states where it is serving as a useful weapon for the Indian State to curb the democratic rights and freedom of the people of these regions. Under the draconian provisions of AFSPA the government's judgment on why an area is found to be ‘disturbed’ is not subject to judicial review. Similarly, there can be no prosecution, suit or any other legal proceeding against anyone acting under this law, except with the sanction of the Central Government. Moreover, this controversial law provides dangerous impunity to the armed forces for detaining, using lethal force and entering and searching premises without warrant. Since armed soldiers trained in combat and in war have no training in civilian law or policing procedures, atrocities under AFSPA are inevitable and are growing. Hence, NEFIS demands that AFSPA should be repealed at the earliest from all states, thereby ending the miseries of the people.

AFSPA has been condemned nationally and internationally by all democratic and justice loving people. Even certain government-appointed commissions (including the recent Justice Verma Committee) and human rights organizations have pressed for the withdrawal of the Act. The continued enforcement of the Act has ensured continued protests. This is why NEFIS’ call for a hunger strike on 2nd November elicited a phenomenal response. At its Kokrajhar and Karbi Anglong sit-in protests, NEFIS called upon all the different communities of the North East, as well as people across the country to raise a unified struggle against AFSPA.

Author info

Bg Gogoi's picture

Journalist, Coder, Traveler. Facebook: https://facebook.com/gogoi
  • 7712 reads

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Zubeen Garg (1972–2025): the voice that carried Assam's soul to every corner of the world

When Zubeen Garg stepped onto a stage, whether in a packed Guwahati stadium or before a modest rural crowd, something remarkable happened: the air thickened with anticipation, and the moment he sang, generations sang with him. On September 19, 2025, that voice — at once fiery, tender, and uncontainable — was silenced forever in Singapore under tragic circumstances. He was 53. For Assam and the Northeast, Zubeen was not simply a musician; he was a living cultural movement, a heartbeat that synchronized with millions. A singer, composer, lyricist, actor, and filmmaker, his career spanned over three decades and encompassed songs in more than 40 languages and dialects. His music shaped...

Journalist Shot in Manipur Days After Nagaland Deputy CM’s Threat

In a chilling reminder of the dangers faced by the press, Hornbill TV reporter Dip (Deep) Saikia was shot in Manipur’s Senapati district on Saturday evening, just a week after being publicly threatened by Nagaland Deputy Chief Minister Yanthungo Patton. The brazen attack has sent shockwaves across the Northeast, raising urgent questions about political intimidation and the safety of journalists. Saikia, a young reporter from Assam’s Jorhat district, had travelled to Laii village to cover the Zinnia Flower Festival when he was targeted. Witnesses say an assailant opened fire, striking him in the leg and underarm. Villagers quickly subdued the attacker, who was reportedly carrying an air...

From Finance to Futures: Why NEDFi Matters to the Northeast

When Shri PVSLN Murty, Chairman and Managing Director of the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), speaks about entrepreneurship in the Northeast, it does not sound like the language of a banker. It sounds more like the voice of someone who has walked the muddy lanes of remote villages, spoken with women artisans at their looms, and listened to farmers struggling to sell their produce. In his recent television interview, Murty painted a picture of a Northeast alive with ideas, but constrained by access. His reflections move beyond institutional reports and into a larger vision: finance not merely as credit, but as liberation, dignity, and futures being rewritten...

A Week of Music That Touched My Soul: Lou Majaw, Peso Pluma & Bhupen Hazarika

This week, I’ve been swept away by three songs from very different worlds—but each one touched something deep inside me. They tell stories of life, struggle, hope, and joy in their own unique ways. And I want to share how these songs became a part of my own story. Rose in My Garden — Lou Majaw’s New Video, A Dream Finally Realized The highlight of my week—and honestly, a moment I’ve been waiting for—is the official music video release of Rose in My Garden by Lou Majaw, my all-time favourite musician and a true living legend of Northeast India’s rock scene. Written back in 1993 on a lazy summer afternoon in Shillong, this song has been a quiet companion in my life for years. But...

Indigenous Communities protest against Land Grab Conspiracy

A massive protest was held in the Boroduar Bagan region of the Goalpara district, where Indigenous communities came together to assert their rights over land they have long inhabited. With banners stating "The land belongs to those who occupy it—first give us the land, then give it to the traders," local men and women from various tribal communities rallied to protect their ancestral land from external forces trying to seize it. Since early morning, Indigenous people from far-flung villages have gathered to resist the threat of losing the land they have occupied for decades. Amid growing fears of displacement, many workers, shopkeepers, and farmers have left their fields to join the...

Assam Leopards: Habitat Loss Fuels Conflict, Community Program Pushes Coexistence

Assam, one of India’s seven biodiversity rich northeastern states, presents a landscape of lush evergreen forests and grasslands that is home to a great diversity of species including many of the rare cat species. Of the magnificent felines--while the tiger enjoys the lion share of all conservation efforts--the leopard however, continues to remain neglected. A Scheduled I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the survival of the leopard (Panthera pardus) in Assam is under threat due to an expanding human population and accompanying development and habitat fragmentation.  “...

Anjali's Book: A Guwahati Tale

Anjali is my friend. She lived in Guwahati for nearly three years. I didn't know she was researching this book! I love to read books. Recently, I read her book, "Keeping in Touch." It's a love story set in today's world. The story is about Keteki, a designer, and Ved, a businessperson. Once I started reading, I couldn't stop. The story begins with Keteki and Ved meeting at an airport. Ved is going to Assam to see a special lightbulb factory. Keteki is coming back home to Guwahati after an art show in London. Their chance meeting leads to a love story that goes beyond borders and takes them on adventures in Assam and other places. What I liked about "Keeping in Touch" is how Anjali...

Aspiration of Assamese students on the rise

During the Covid-19, a few brave Assamese boys and girls sailed offshore in search of their destiny, braving heavy odds like the lack of flights, lack of appointments for visas and uncertainty in foreign land. In the most unprecedented times in the history of mankind, now when the world goes through spells of complete lockdown, the youth were clueless about how to deal with this situation. Nevertheless, some brave-hearts embraced challenges with the right spirit and converted them to opportunities. Dewang Rajkakati is one of them. He left India during the height of the Corona Pandemic in December 2020 after completing B Tech from SRM University. He studied MS from the State...

Encounter claims life in Kokrajhar

KOKRAJHAR: An encounter incident took place in the Ultapani forest area along the Indo-Bhutan border area of Kokrajhar district on Thursday night that reportedly killed a person who was allegedly involved with extremist activities recently in Chirang district. The deceased was identified as Sanjula Wary, 26, of the Sapkata area of the Gossaigaon subdivision. Police arrested Sanjula Wary(26) of Kashiabari Dulagaon under Gossaigaon police station on Thursday. as per police, he was earlier a member of the NLFB Udalguri camp and had formed an extremist gang of about 10-15 members who were personally involved in the recent dacoity and firing incident at Bithani village under Amteka in...

Govt downplays allegations of encounter-raj

Guwahati: An orgy of "encounters" triggered no less uproar in the state assembly on Monday, where the government denied any such case of an encounter by police. According to the government, there is nothing new in a few incidents of deaths of criminals in police firing in the state. Opposition legislators alleged a mysterious rise in the number of deaths in police firings since the new government was installed in Dispur. Senior minister Piyush Hazarika tried to pacify the legislators by saying that there is no such word as "encounter" in the Assam police manual. He said that police can’t remain idle if a criminal tries to flee from custody.  “It was during the erstwhile...