Voices from the Northeast.

Northeast came alive on the 13th and 14th of October in the nation’s capital Delhi. In a literary meet titled “Voices from the North East”, some new writers from the region came together to highlight the literature that comes from the region’s oral traditions and myths. The event was organised by Jaipur-based literary consultancy Siyahi at Delhi’s India Habitat Centre.

The two day event comprised of readings by some known writers of the North-eastern region and also a performance by the well-known band East India Company. Mita Kapur, who heads Siyahi, said that their organisation has always stressed on highlighting writers from such remote areas of the country and said that the North East has much more to offer than what seems. She saw this event as an opportunity to bring out these voices in front of mainstream India’s arena.

The first day i.e. 13th October, comprised of a reading session by well-known Khasi writer Mr. Kynpham Sing Nonkynrih and the performance by East India Company. Nongkynrih began by reading passages from his poem “Identification Marks” which talked of the various tactics that Khasis adopted while identifying their own breed. His talk comprised of mostly the elements which influence Khasi writings and culture on a whole. He said that the Khasi poetry is called Kathawar because of the oral tradition that has been followed for its preservation. He also delved into the importance that kwai (areca nut) has in their society. Worth recalling is his account as to how the British used to called the Khasis as “red-mouthed monsters” because of their red-stained mouths from eating kwai. Nonkynrih also talked about the matrilineal society of the Khasis which got the audience especially interested because it mostly comprised of mainland Indians.

After the reading session by Nongkynrih, came the performance of the East India Company headed by Angaraag Mahanta (Papon). The band left the audience spellbound with their music which had a blend of various genres from Assamese folk to Rajasthani folk and classical Sufi music. Angaraag’s father, the great Khagen Mahanta, was also present during the show which performed to a packed auditorium. But the best part of the band’s performance was their electronic rendition of Assam’s Bihu. Many from the audience came to the front and broke into Bihu dances that made the entire auditorium come alive. Truly, it was the perfect ending to a beautiful evening!

The next day i.e. 14th October was marked by a panel discussion titled, “Turning Point: New Writings from the North East.” Taking part in this conversion were writers from the North East such as Ms. Mamang Dai, Ms. Bijoya Sawian and Ms. Temsula Ao. The discussion was moderated by well-known author Ms. Namita Gokhale. The talk was mainly centred on the oral traditions and local myths that are influencing the new writings from the region. Most new writers are going back to their traditional roots that are giving a different picture to the readers of the mainland India who have always held stereotyped assumptions about the North East.

The first reading was done by Ms. Mamang Dai, who is a former IAS officer and is presently a journalist with Hindustan Times. She began by reading poems from her book “Legends of Pensam” and went on to talk about the new focus that the writers from the region are turning to which is finding a flavour with the mainstream readers. Dai, who hails from Arunachal Pradesh, said that one of the biggest inspiration for her book came from the villagers who are abound with myriad folk tales and myths. She said that myths in North East are either held as very sacred or else discarded as total nonsense. But they do help in maintaining the distinct identity and flavour of the community concerned.

The next talk was given by Ms. Bijoya Sawian, who hails from Shillong and is a writer of repute. She began with reading a few passages from her upcoming book “Men in the Shadows” which deals with the wave of intolerance against the non-Khasis in Shillong. She also went on to talk about the matrilineal Khasi society in length. She said that though militancy in Meghalaya is minimal, the cause of problems is more economical than political. It is due to this that an atmosphere of intolerance has emerged against the non-Khasis in Shillong. She also threw light on her religion i.e. the Nyamthrai religion which dwells on the concept of monotheism. She said that it is a religion with very minimal religious rites and rituals and focuses on living a simple and clean life. One more thing that came to front was Shillong’s never-ending obsession with country legend Bob Dylan when Ms. Sawian mentioned that one of her inspirations to write the book was a song by Dylan.

And lastly came Ms. Temsula Ao, who hails from Nagaland and is currently the Dean of the School of Humanities and Education at the North Eastern Hill University at Shillong. Ms. Ao went on to talk about the new way in which old myths and legends are reinterpreted by the new writers to bring out a new flavour in them. This she demonstrated by reading out two poems from her book “Songs of the Other Life.” Her most soulful reading was the poem which dealt with the famous Momola legend of Nagaland. Ms. Ao also spoke on the importance of the English language in writing. She said that writing in English has its advantages of reaching out to a larger audience who understand the language. For her, English has helped in bonding together the various people of the North East. She also said that the reason for writing in this language was because of the Christian religion that the Nagas adopted.

This event definitely was an experience to remember for most people who attended it. For Namita Gokhale, who moderated the second day’s panel talk, it was a usual opportunity to interact with writers from various regions and getting to know intimately the socio-cultural fabric of the North East. For Ms. Bijoya Sawian, it was a great opportunity for writers of the region because it was a platform to reach to the larger Indian audience. She also said that Shillong had become the new launching ground for upcoming writers from the North East because of the presence of the NE Hill University and the various literary meets and discussions that keep happening there. Aruni Kashyap, an upcoming author from Assam and a member of Siyahi, said that such events are a great opportunity to highlight the vast talent that the North East has to offer and break the usual stereotyping of the region.

“Voices from the North East” was surely an event to remember and it is hoped that such meets will continue to happen. The angle of viewing the North East is changing in mainland India and it is hoped that the gap between the region and the mainland will continue to narrow down from such meets.

The Batla House Encounter: Unanswered Questions.

The 19th of September this year was special for the people of the Batla House area and the university of Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi. It was the first anniversary of the infamous Batla House encounter which took place a year ago in the L-18 building of the area. Delhi Police, in the encounter, shot down two Jamia students, Atif and Sajid in cold blood, claiming they were terrorists. Superintendent of Police (SP) Mr. Mohan Chand Sharma lost his life in the encounter. But this encounter left many unanswered questions which left a deep suspicion in the minds of many people.

As one year has passed by, we got to see that people gave mixed reactions to this incident. In Batla House, people were angry and cried foul over the actions of the police and the government. While many others mourned the day for the martyrdom of Mr. Mohan Chand Sharma. Posters praising the bravery of the late SP and the importance of the encounter could be seen in many areas of the city. The Jamia Teachers’ Solidarity Association and the All India Students Association (AISA) came out with a torchlight rally in Batla House on 18th September to mark the eve of the encounter.

The most noticeable thing about the encounter was the trail of unanswered questions it has left behind. The clean chit given to the Delhi Police by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has further left people fuming. And even the court has not given any definitive judgement to the case. In this scenario, are worth to be noted two RTIs (Right to Information) appeals which were filed last month. Afroz Alam Sahil, an RTI activist, filed two RTIs on the 12th of August seeking information from the NHRC and the authority of Jamia. But the replies to these two RTIs have not been given till date. And it is to be noted here that it is mandatory to give a reply to an RTI in a period of one month even if the reply is no.

One RTI had been directed to the Jamia authority about their stand on the matter of the students who had been arrested in this case. Last year, the ex-Vice-Chancellor of Jamia, Prof. Mushirul Hassan had talked of giving legal aid to the ones who had been arrested in this case. For this purpose a sum of money was collected by the students. But till date there has been no report of any legal aid given by the university. The RTI had questions relating to the number of students arrested in connection to this case and also if Jamia had taken any action against them. It also asked questions relating to the current status of the legal aid that Prof. Hassan had talked of giving. It asked questions like how much money had been spent on it and if not, then what was delaying it?

The second RTI was directed towards the NHRC. Ever since the NHRC had given the clean chit to Delhi Police in the case, its style and methods of workings have been questioned by people. This RTI asked questions which ranged from the Commission’s working patterns in investigating this case to the loopholes that had crept out in the results of their investigations. It had questions as whether the NHRC met witnesses and families of the victims and also whether they examine they examined the place of encounter. It seeked names of the witnesses that were talked to and also the names and designations of those who were members of the team investigating the case. Here again, two very important questions were raised. Firstly, there was no magistrate enquiry in the Batla House Encounter case even though this is mentioned in the NHRC guidelines. Secondly, Mr. Mohan Chand Sharma had reportedly got medical aid in five minutes after he was shot. Then how did he die of excessive bleeding?

Questions like these raise serious doubts about the authenticity of the encounter. Residents of Batla House and the Jamia fraternity swear by the fact that Atif and Sajid were innocent students who became victims of the conspiracy of the police and the government. But what really was the scene can only be speculated till some new findings come out. The questions that are asked are not just relevant in the matter of a cover-up by the police. It is more about the way the minorities in India are treated by the establishment to hide its own failures. It is also about the trust that the students of a university expect from the authorities once they are promised.

Post-Poll Iran: Chaos and Confusion

Ever since the results of the Iranian Presidential elections have been out, there has been total mayhem in Iran. The re-election of Hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has literally brought the entire Iran on a violent standstill where the supporters of Ahmadinejad’s defeated rival Mirhossein Mousavi took to the street and clashed with police as well as with the supporters of Ahmadinejad. The capital city Tehran and several other cities have turned into battlegrounds between the protestors and the police.

Moderate ex-premier Mousavi cried foul over election irregularities after Ahmadinejad won by almost 63% of the vote. He warned of the “dangerous scenario” the vote had created, as some of his protesting supporters were beaten up by the police.

On Sunday, Ahmadinejad gave a victory speech to tens of thousands of his supporters who gathered at the capital’s Vali-e-Asr square. Ahmadinejad described the elections as clean and fair, and dismissed complaints by defeated candidates as “sour grapes.” He also mentioned that there would be no change in Iran’s nuclear policy and warned any country that attacked Iran with dire consequences.

Ever since the election results have been declared, the situation in Iran is getting worse day by day. The situation only got more complicated when the all-powerful supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei hailed Ahmadinejad’s victory as a “feast.” This single remark dashed the hopes of the moderates to the ground and clearly showed who the high command of the nation was in support of.

What is most noteworthy is the way the government has reacted to these protests. The police went out of its way to detain the protestors. In the various clash between the police and the pro-Mousavi protestors, many people including women and children have been injured. Journalists who were filming the incidents were briefly detained by the police. And mobile phone messaging was blocked in an apparent attempt to stifle one of the main communication tools of the Mousavi supporters. Till now it is reported that the police have detained more than 100 reformers, including the brother of former President Mohammad Khatami.

Ahmadinejad’s victory has left the Western powers in a not-so-happy state of mind. Among all the Western major powers, France has come out with the strongest statement where it mentioned that the shaping of events in Iran is “not good news for anyone.” French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner said that the repression of opponents was closing off dialogue.

But the worst affected among all the Western powers was the United States. Ahmadinejad’s victory has complicated matters for the Obama administration’s engagement plans with Iran. But experts also hinted out that there could be no reversal of the new US policy towards Tehran. It was hoped that a moderate President in Tehran might have helped cement better ties with the US. But now that Ahmadinejad is back in power, the US plans to engage the Iranian government “whether it is led by one faction or the other.” For this, the US will have to keep their fingers crossed!

Today Iran’s condition has huge global implications. Apart from the jinxed nuclear policy controversy, the question of oil is also a big matter. One over which Washington has allegedly its eyes on for a long time. The return of the hardliners is an implication that radical liberal reforms might still elude Iran for some time now. But we surely hope that Iran’s conditions change for the better as soon as possible. If not for the world, then at least for its people.

AFSPA: The Tale Continues

It cannot get more appalling than this. Even after so many years of struggle and incidents, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) has not been removed from Manipur.

And we were suddenly reminded of the plight of the general public of Manipur when on May 7 the security forces claimed another life under the aegis of this Act.

A team of Manipur police shot dead a suspected militant in an “encounter” at Leikai, Imphal West, during the wee hours. Police said the suspected militant, identified as Ng Nanao of Uripok Polem, was shot dead in an encounter. However, local residents allege that he was shot dead in front of his family members by the police team. They called him out from his house and opened fire at him. They also alleged that police resorted to indiscriminate firing in the area.

This incident is just another instance where the armed forces will get off without any matter of questioning. The immunity provided to the security forces by the Act has given them enough scope to commit crimes like harassment and rape among the civilians. One example in this regard can be the infamous Manorama Devi case that created a huge uproar throughout the state against the Indian establishment there.

Under Section 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, “No prosecution, suit or other legal proceedings shall be instituted, except with the previous sanction of the Central Government against any person in respect of anything done or purported to be done in exercise of powers conferred by this Act.”

While examining the third periodic report of the government of India, an expert of the United Nations Human Rights Committee stated “Article 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which prevented all legal proceedings against members of the armed forces, was extremely worrying; if the Government’s fear was that citizens would bring vexatious or frivolous actions, that was a matter better left to the courts to resolve. It was inadmissible for citizens to be deprived of a remedy as was at present the case.”

Manipur was declared a “disturbed area” on 8 September 1980. According to Manipur Chief Minister Ibobi Singh over 8,000 innocent persons and over 12,000 members of insurgent groups and security forces have lost their lives since then.

In practice, there are hundreds of armed encounters each year. Not every armed encounter is questioned. However, when people, whether innocent civilians, suspects or members of armed oppositions groups are captured from their houses or villages and routinely killed in fake encounters, allegations of extrajudicial killings surface. Yet, there has been little or no evidence to prove that the victims were indeed arrested as no arrest memo is issued, not to mention about evidence to prove subsequent extrajudicial executions.

But if we look at the other side of the story then the armed insurgent groups of Manipur have also created havoc with the life of the state. If the security forces harass the people, then from the other side the insurgents add more pain to the wound.

The armed insurgent groups have been responsible for torture, extrajudicial executions, hostage taking, extortions and blatant violations of various Human Rights Laws. The victims include innocent civilians, alleged police informers and corrupt officials or simply inability to pay extortion money.The people of Manipur are caught in a vicious cycle. The nexus between the political leaders and armed insurgent groups is a public knowledge in Manipur. The extortion, otherwise called as taxes by the insurgents, is also public knowledge and often collected under the noses of the administration. Across the highways both the security forces and armed opposition groups extort money from innocent people as well as businessmen. All government officials including the senior most officials allegedly pay taxes.

In such a scenario, it is but certain that the Indian Government as well as the local politicians want the confusion to continue. And this trend is something which is prevalent in the other states of the North-East as well. The existence of this Act is a slap on the faces of the people of Manipur. On the one hand, due to this Act, the security forces harass them and on the other hand, it has failed to contain insurgency at all. And what is most angering is that the Manipuri politicians don’t take much or any initiative to remove this Act.

All in all, this Act reminds us that our country’s democratic principles and ethos are sidelined and crushed in the name of maintaining the security and integrity of our country.

A play with a difference!

On the evening of 15th April, the Friends group of Jamia Millia Islamia performed a street play at the Delhi Haat. The play titled “Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya?” was based on the concept of homosexuality and gay rights. The group consisted of students of AJK Mass Communication Research Centre of Jamia Millia Islamia.

Watching the play was a welcome experience as it touched on a topic which is talked about behind closed doors. Homosexuality, though coming to the focus of various talks, is still a subject of great hush-hush. In this season of elections and IPL, watching a play on a different topic was surely refreshing. And it is solely to those students' credit that a controversial topic like homosexuality was shown to a whole public.

The play was all about showing the angst and isolation that the people of the gay community face. The play was presented on different levels which showed ostracisation from family and society and how it drives the victims to be driven to the point of extreme acts. Also worth mentioning were some sequences in the play where some really serious aspects of gay discrimination were shown. Be it the plight of a gay AIDS patient or the harassment of gay couples by the police, the ridicule society gives out to homosexuals or suicides committed by such people; every aspect was shown in a stark reality. And each time a question was raised. Why do they have to face this?

Afroz Alam Sahil, who was a part of the play, said that the message of the play is to make the voices of these people get heard. He further says that the play does not pass any judgement. It is more of a case study of actual incidents and shows the tribulations that the homosexuals have to undergo in our country.

At a time when gay pride parades are coming out and people are talking of scraping Article 377 which criminalises homosexuality in India, this play reminded us that there are issues which we simply cannot ignore. However gross people might find them, we have to sit back and notice them because they exist among us. And homosexuals are one such reality.

As far as reactions are concerned, the play did succeed in shocking the spectators with its bold theme. As the play progressed on, I could notice that people had shocked expressions on their faces. And there was pin drop silence throughout the play. But one thing was for sure. The play succeeded in conveying its message. And again talking of reactions, the play has evoked some reactions from the moral police as well. Activists of the Republican Party of India (RPI) staged a demonstration in front of AJK MCRC in Jamia on 16th April protesting against the staging of this play. This is just another instance when the so called moral police leaves no stone unturned in silencing those voices which raise such issues that are deemed unfit for a ‘sane’ society. On top of that, the Urdu daily, Humara Samaj, went on to publish an editorial condemning the staging of this play. They even criticised Jamia Millia Islamia for giving permission to go ahead with this play and also accused the university of damaging the image of the Islamic culture.

But the performers of the play are unfazed because they believe they have touched a legitimate topic. And it is this attitude that reminds us of the fact that democracy is all about expressing oneself inspite of all oppositions. Homosexuality is a tabooed topic in our country. And the staging of this play only signals that we are free to express ourselves in a democratic setup. And people will have to look up to such issues one day. Because it is a human issue after all.

Elections Vs IPL

As India prepares to welcome the summers this year, two events of epic proportions collide with each other. The 15th General Elections and the 2nd edition of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) are taking place together this month. And already preparations are underway for the coverage of these two events. Now the only thing remaining to be seen is which one scores over the other in terms of coverage.

The importance of IPL over elections is something which has divided opinions among various circles. As we look into them, we find that the story is splitting into two halves. It is one section which thinks that the elections will not be affected by the IPL. While the other section thinks that the elections will be affected by the IPL.

Qamar Agha, who is a political analyst and hosts a few TV shows, says that the elections will not be affected by the IPL. He says that the people will always give more importance to their right to vote under any circumstances. He feels that in a democratic setup like India, people will come out to vote because they know the importance it holds for them over a game of cricket.

Echoing his thoughts, students from Delhi University, who are ever conscious of their rights, give out full support to the elections. For them, it is a celebration of their existence in democracy and they are very vocal about their support to the elections. Ashutosh, a law student, says that he feels it is his moral duty as a citizen of this country to vote. He gives more important to following election coverage than following the IPL as he thinks it will him along with other citizens. Pranshu, a history student, says that it is the moral responsibility of all sane minded citizens to follow election developments. He says that cricket can never gain such a prominence that people might forget their democratic responsibilities.

Now as far as those people are concerned who feel that the IPL will affect the turnout of voters in the elections, we find that there is a section who believes that the political machinery of the state has rotten beyond doubt. It is a reflection of those Indians who are frustrated from the existing corruption in politics of this country. It is a sign of the unrest that is brewing within from quite some time.

Subrata Mukherjee, who is the convener of the Asian Political Science Association and a former professor of Delhi University, feels that the way people view the elections will remain the same whether there be any IPL or not. He is among those people who feel that the state machinery has rotten down and the corrupt politics has totally disinterested the people in events like the elections. For him elections are just another process where we choose such people who suck our blood in the end. And the people have got fed up of politicians who continuously cheat them.

Even a large chunk of the common people has lost trust in the politicians of the country because it’s always about the power that the politicians go for in the end. And this is affecting the way the elections are viewed in this country. A layperson’s views on the elections confirm this very clearly when he says that he would prefer to watch the IPL than go and cast his vote. Harpreet Singh, who is a staffer in Delhi University, says that he would rather watch the IPL than give any special interest to the election proceedings. For him, again, it is just another round of ceremony where we choose leaders who cheat us and suck our blood in the end.

But some people wouldn’t still go out of their way to take any side. They still want to view it as a platform where these two events will go off without affecting each other much. Chetan Chauhan, a former cricketer turned politician, feels so. For him the IPL doesn’t pose much of a threat in seeking out voters. Since he has himself been a well-known cricketer, he feels that the public will figure out some way to take required information out of the two events.

Now it remains to be seen how the media gains from all this hype. As the media today is profit-driven, it will be all about striking the correct balance between the elections and the IPL. Qamar Agha feels that the media is smart enough to do this. He says that as the media today is a profit making organisation, it is imperative that they will ultimately find that they will figure a way to give coverage to both the events to make the most of it. And we can see it because now the media is totally into election coverage. But news of the impending IPL are now making headway on the airwaves.

So in this age of publicity and hype, the war for coverage between the elections and the IPL is more about the prominence of democratic ideals and the entertainment quotient of cricket. As there is a division in thoughts, we find that people are divided in their opinion regarding the importance to be given to the General Elections or the IPL.

Elections: A Saga of Violence and Violations

The 15th General Elections are knocking on our doors. And again the world’s largest democracy is gearing up to witness this political spectacle. Numerous campaigns are being carried out to urge the people to vote. And what is more interesting is that this time a huge chunk of the voters will be youngsters. And already our politicians have started to give us a good time with their political circus of myriad coalitions for the polls. But what is most noticeable is the trend where political parties openly violate election commission rules and give us rounds of violence in every election.

We have noticed it in earlier elections, and it has already started in these elections as well. The first reports of violence have appeared in the newspapers. This is a stark reminder of the fact that muscle power still dominates our electoral process. With the first phase of polling starting from 15th April, the show of violence has finally come out with the cases of two murders and one incident of violence.

On 13th April, Bahadur Sahab Sonkar, who was contesting the Jaunpur Assembly seat from the Indian Justice Party (IJP), was found dead with his body hanging from a tree. His supporters have raised a hue and cry calling it a murder, while the post-mortem report states it as a case of suicide. But inspite of it, the Election Commission has still decided to go ahead with the pollings. On the same day, Congress MLA Makhanlal Jatav was murdered in cold blood while returning from campaign in his Bhind constituency. Both these incidents took place in Uttar Pradesh, which once again highlights the high level of lawlessness prevalent there. Again on the same day, in the Godda seat of Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Nishikant Dubey was attacked by supporters of the opposition party.

These incidents are such which are not something new during elections in our country. Incidents of violence and breaking of Election Commission rules are something which political parties commit with great vigour. If we look incidents in the past, then we find out that the Election Commission has been totally inept in handling political parties for violation of rules.

If we look in the last Assembly Elections held in 2007, we find that one of the most infamous scandals was the CD scandal committed by the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. And a reply to an RTI has brought in more discredit to the Election Commission in handling discipline among political parties. Afroz Alam Sahil, an RTI activist, had filed an RTI seeking information on the CD scandal from the Election Commission. The reply stated that the Commission had received 19 complaints against the Party. The nature and the gravity of the offence committed by the BJP have also been mentioned very clearly as per the Indian Constitution. The Commission had directed the CEO of Uttar Pradesh to file the same number of FIRs against the State BJP President Mr. Lalji Tandon and his associates for the production of the CDs. But even today the information on the Police enquiry is awaited by the Commission. This clearly shows the real level of importance given to the Election Commission by government institution like the Police Force.

This single incident shows the inability of the Election Commission in handling serious cases of indiscipline during elections. Glorifying the gory acts of the Godhra carnage and using them as acts of rhetoric is a serious offence as it spreads communalism among the general masses. The use of communalistic propaganda is something which has been used particularly by communal parties like the BJP. Even in the recent case of Varun Gandhi’s hate speech, we see how a communal feeling has been stirred to gain on the Hindu vote bank. And here again, the inability of the Election Commission to handle the situation properly has come out. And Varun Gandhi has now emerged as the new hero of Hindutva.

So, violation of rules and incidents of violence are something which have become synonymous with elections. And we can only speculate how many more incidents of violations and violence we have to see in this General Election. And all this because our Election Commission has turned out to be a toothless organisation in dealing with these offending parties.