Dr Sandeep Pandey to attend solidarity fast in Imphal
Eminent social scientist and Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Dr Sandeep Pandey will attend the Meet the Press programme at the Guwahati Press Club on September 12. Dr Pandey will attend a three-day solidarity fast, organised by the 'National Alliance of People's Movement' and the 'Manipur Forward Youth Front' (MAFYF), in Imphal from September 13 to 15 to protest against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 (AFSPA), and in support of Irom Sharmila Chanu's ongoing struggle against the law.
Many human rights activists from all over the country as well as from neighbouring countries will assemble in Imphal.
One of the founder members of 'Asha' (a non-profit organisation for Education), Mr Pandey was awarded with the Asian Nobel in 2002 in the category of Emergent Leadership for his work towards the uplift of the poor and the underprivileged in India. An engineering graduate from the prestigious University of Berkeley, Pandey later used to teach at IIT Kanpur, but he soon shifted his endeavor to bring hope for the underprivileged sections of the society.
Sapamcha Jadumani, president of the Manipur Forward Youth Front (MAFYF), said that the solidarity fast is being organised to demand the complete repeal of the AFSPA and to garner support for Sharmila. Thirty-seven-year old Sharmila is a woman activist of Meitei Manipuri community, and is known for her campaign against the controversial AFSPA.
Sharmila had gone on hunger strike on November 2, 2000 demanding the repeal of the AFSPA, after soldiers of the Assam Rifles allegedly killed ten young Meitei men in Malom. Three days later, police arrested Sharmila on charges of "attempted suicide", because suicide or attempted suicide is a criminal offence under Indian law. She was later remanded to judicial custody. To keep her alive, she was forcefully fed a cocktail of vitamins, minerals, laxatives, protein supplements and lentil soup through the nose with a rubber pipe. Several human rights organisations from across the country, as well as NRI groups from abroad, are also backing this programme.
Random Stories
27 Apr 2017 - 6:24pm |
Lester Makang
Underscoring his concern for the landslide-affected villagers of Sirarakhong village, MLA of Chingai AC Khashim Vashum extended monetary aid and reassured the affected villagers of government...
9 Aug 2008 - 7:50pm |
Daya Nath Singh
The deteriorating political and law and order situation in Assam and involvement of political leaders in dividing the society for their personal or party's interest has compelled the citizens to...
16 Apr 2015 - 1:33pm |
AT News
Sensational revelations are coming up as a team of senior police officials are interrogating Rita Chauhan in connection with her alleged link with the car lifters.Sources told Assam Times that the...
15 Sep 2018 - 12:50pm |
Nava Thakuria
Guwahati: The Apollo Hospitals Chennai will conduct two media OPD clinics at Guwahati Press Club on 22 September and 5 October next. Dr S Kannan (ENT/ Head & Neck Surgeon) will be available for...
Other Contents by Author
The Assam Congress said it is confident of bagging seven to eight Lok Sabha seats in the State. Assam went to the two-phased parliamentary elections on April 16 and April 23 for 14 seats. Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhubaneswar Kalita said the party is sure of winning in eight to nine seats. In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, the ruling party had won nine out of the 14 seats. Kalita said: “Our observers went to the constituencies and our arithmetic say we will win in 8 to nine seats. There are also possibilities of gaining lead in some other seats.”Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party, which has entered into an alliance with the regional Asom Gana Parishad or AGP,...
Suspected ULFA rebels gunned down two political workers in upper Assam's Tinsukia district around 5.30 pm on Sunday. Both the deceased were talking with the village head when two motor-cycle borne youths killed them from point-blank range."The youths came to the village head's house in Mohong village under Pengery police station along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border where the duo were talking," D. Bora, a police official told this correspondent over telephone from Tinsukia."The deceased were identified as Kamal Moran (22) and Tapu Saikia (40)," the police official said.An unconfirmed source has however said the deceased were political party workers.Earlier Sunday, an...
The Nehru Stadium wicket will be in favour of spinners. So said Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni ahead of Monday's one-dayer in Guwahati. Addressing a pre-match press conference, the winning captain of Twenty 20 World Cup said: "Gambhir is also batting well and it will be a tough choice between him and Sehwag."Both India and Pakistan arrived in Guwahati on Sunday and were taken to hotels amid heavy security.Gambhir has been in good form in recent past, while Sehwag also enjoys an impressive record against Pakistan and Dhoni said it would be a tough call when the final eleven is named on Monday morning."Sehwag is batting well at the nets. He is middling the ball and is in...
Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, in his latest video, has mentioned about Assam and Kashmir with a call to the Muslims to wake up and launch a fight for an Islamic state. Laden has beamed his 15-minute video on Al-Jazeera, a satelite channel on Friday night.For long it was just speculations and allegations by security forces about possible linkages between the al-Qaeda and the militant groups of the northeastern region. But for the first time, it has been proved 'officially'. Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden in a sensational video released categorically mentioned Assam and asked Muslims in the state to wake up and fight in spiritedly.This 15-minute video lambasted the US and a section of the...
Seven CRPF jawans were killed in an ambush by DHD miliatnts in Thai Jawari area near village Longting under Umrongsho police station in the North Cachar Hills district, the attack took place around 11 am today.One of the CRPF vehicles first ran over a powerful landmine. Soon after the explosion, militants hiding atop a hill fired indiscriminately on the convoy.The CRPF jawans were escorting a commander of CRPF's 50 battalion from Dimora camp. The commander escaped unhurt.The rebels also looted a huge number of arms and ammunition from the CRPF jawans.
Four Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC) militants including a commander were gunned down and two policemen wounded critically in a fierce gun battle in the heart of Meghalaya capital Shillong on Tuesday night. DGP BK Dey Sawian told newspersons the encounter took place at Cleave Colony near Dhankheti under Laitumkhrah police station around 9 pm.Acting on specific inputs about the presence of a group of HNLC militants, the police had launched a massive combing operation in the city. The militants, who were traveling in a car, opened fire on the policemen when they were intercepted at Cleave Colony, about 2 km from the Laitumkhrah police station.The police retaliated, killing...
A good news for the students of upper primary classes in Assam. Now onwards, the students from Class VI to Class VIII will also get to taste the mid-day meal in the schools.The Centre has extended the Mid Day Meal Scheme to the Upper Primary Stage of Education (classes VI to VIII) in 3479 Educationally Backward Blocks (EBBs) in 2007-08 and areas across the country from 2008-09. This will benefit about 1.7 crore all over the country.The Centre has changed the name of Scheme from 'National Programme of Nutritional Support to Primary Education' to 'National Programme of Mid Day Meals in Schools'.The Centre has released the assistance to the respective States for extension of Mid-Day Meal...
The Army has adopted psychological methods to make an appeal to the cadres of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to shun violence and join the mainstream. As a part of this initiative, a large number of parents and family members of ULFA cadres, including those of some senior and important leaders of 28 Battalion, which is the main strike force of the rebel group, have made an emotional appeal to the militants in the three districts of upper Assam through interaction with media.The latest of such meetings was organized at Sivasagar, where parents of over 30 ULFA cadres gathered to convey their feelings with outburst of emotions in the presence of a number of civil and military...
Assam Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh said on Wednesday that military operation against the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) militants in North Cachar Hills district will continue till the situation in the district returns to normalcy. Mentionably, Meghalaya Police arrested eight DHD militants from Shillong on Sunday. Governor said that the arrested cadres included Action Dimasa, the third in rank in the DHD outfit. "No disturbances will be tolerated in the NC Hills," the Governor said. The NC Hills is going to hold the elections to its autonomous council in November. The election was postponed earlier due to the killing of its Chief Executive Member (CEM) Purnendu Langhthasa and executive...
Shillong has become the safest way of arms supply by the militants to the Northeastern region. The capital of Meghalaya has virtually become a transit point of arms and extortion deal. This has come to light after the arrest of eight Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) militants and three other "suspected" Manipur-based rebels on Sunday in Shillong. On December 19, 2006, commander of the ULFA's 27 battalion Pallav Saikia alias Ananta Kakati was arrested along with his wife Moromi at an unspecified place of Meghalaya with huge cache of arms and ammunition. NSCN general secretary Thuingaleng Muivah reportedly escaped to Bangladesh via Shillong a fortnight ago. From Bangladesh, he is supposed to...
Add new comment