Mail News Service
Imphal, Dec 10: The Manipur Students’ Association Delhi (MSAD) had participated in an observance programme on the day of the International Human Rights Day, at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. The programme was observed jointly by various institutions, civil organizations and other different student communities wherein almost more than 200 members were present. A march was taken out from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar before converging at Jantar Mantar.
The members took a deliberate discussions and debates on the issues of human rights and its violations in different parts of the world specially India. Many of the members opined for an objective and a democratic procedure for the movement against human rights violations and deprivations.
As one of the organizers of the programme, MSAD had also put a few words on the very issue. MSAD said, today i.e. the “10th of December must be the world’s, mostly the workers’ and the peasants’ happiest day, for, their rights of being human have been suppressed, oppressed and exploited by the bourgeois. However, we the people have been fighting back with positive determinations for these very rights of our own, for more than thousands of years.
If these suppressors, oppressors and exploiters don’t try to give us back the very rights of us, as they have been doing for the last thousands of years, then, we the people would be compelled and determined to fight them for the same, even forcefully, if needed, so that we can teach them a lesson so as to make them understand the real meaning of life, for they are still acting so childishly as far as their minds are concerned. Also, it’s the time that we through our togetherness make such people understand how much wrong they are doing and what can it bring to our societies? So as to gain these very rights, we will be very much needed to fight back with a sense of togetherness.
The Save Sharmila Campaign Committee organised a daylong event in New Delhi today to coincide with the 63rd International Human Rights Day celebrated globally on the 10th of December since 1948. Raj Ghat, the historic memorial of Mahatma Gandhi came alive today with activists from Manipur as well as from the length and breadth of India – Assam, A.P., Bihar, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra, M.P., Punjab, U.P., the press note from Just Peace Foundation.
It said the event which was supposed to be a day of fast was denied permission, however not to be deterred the activists gathered for a day of fast beginning with a prayer meeting of more than two hundred people.
“The spirit of Gandhi is being kept alive by Irom Chanu Sharmila” affirmed eminent activist Ms. Medha Padkar at the Save Sharmila Campaign. She added that it was indeed a national embarrassment that the organising of one day of fast in solidarity with Irom Sharmila’s twelfth years’ of fast was being denied permission at the capital. Swami Agnivesh stated that it is not for herself that Sharmila is fasting, neither is it for Manipur or India alone but for the cause of entire humanity. “We should understand and rally behind her cause”, he added.
At the end of the day of fast the activists assembled again at the Press Club of India and interacted with the media.
“It is a matter of shame, a matter of embarrassment that we were denied permission to hold a fast on this very day declared as the International Human Rights Day” stated Ms. Aruna Roy an eminent activist who is also member of the National Advisory Council. Anandi Khangembam, Managing Trustee of Just Peace Foundation, Manipur expressed that “One should not look at Irom Sharmila alone to resist the repressive laws which oppresses women; women all over India and the world should begin to voice their protest against all repressive laThe statement said noted academician and activist Prof. Nandini Sundar, Shabnam Hashmi of Anhad also addressed the media asking for the repeal of AFSPA and expressed their solidarity with Irom Sharmila. Human rights activist, Babloo Loitongbam expresses immense grief over the state of affairs. He stated “The twelfth year of Irom Sharmila’s fast which fails to move the state speaks a lot of the lack of maturity of the Indian State”. He added that 60,000 soldiers terrorising citizens in Manipur is not a sign of a mature, democratic nation that India claims to be, rather fostering solidarity amongst people, like this event organised by NAPM and others will herald the birth of a new democracy in India.
The Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) observed the International Human Rights Day to commemorate the 63rd year of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the theme “Social Media and Human Rights in the Local Context”, at Ana Ki Conference Hall, Dimapur today. Aside from members of NPMHR, among those who attended were representatives from the Naga Mothers Association (NMA), Naga Students Federation (NSF), United Naga Council (UNC), Nagaland University Teachers Association (NUTA), pioneering senior members of NPMHR, and other well wishers.
Dr. Gina Shangkham, the Secretary General of NPMHR gave the welcome address
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/human-rights-day-observed/
