9/11 and After-effects of the Act
The AFSPA and
The Woman:
After-effects of the Act
This Term Paper / Assignment / Project has been submitted by
Ms. Aishwaria S Iyer
ID No: 212034
On Sociology II
During the Winter Semester 2012 -13
I. Introduction
Everyone knows 9/11 as the day of the infamous airplane crash that brought down the twin towers in New York, destroying thousands of lives all at once. Few however, realise that the date is ominous for Indians in a different way. It is the date when The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA, was passed, way back in 1958, much before the 2001 attacks. Although the effects of this act were not instantaneous, the consequences of the same have been disastrous and have led to a complete destruction of the lives of the people of North East India, where the brunt the effects have been, and still are being, faced especially by the women of the region.
In this project, questions of what AFSPA is, why it was passed, its provisions, effects and how the women in Manipur are fighting it. There is also a short description of Irom Sharmila’s Fight for the repeal of the AFSPA.
II. Background of Women’s movement as a social movement in Manipur
There is a long history of social movements led by women in Manipur. The non-tribal Meitei women of Manipur have a long and established tradition of agitations for social reforms or against administrative oppressions. This significant role dates back to ancient times, where it was practice to first send a contingent of women to report any injustice to the ruler. The mistake was ordinarily corrected. This tradition has continued and has materialised today as a continued struggle for the repeal of the AFSPA.
III. What is The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act?
According to the text of the statute, the AFSPA is, “An Act to enable certain special powers to be conferred upon members of the armed forces in disturbed areas in the State of *[Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
The Woman:
After-effects of the Act
This Term Paper / Assignment / Project has been submitted by
Ms. Aishwaria S Iyer
ID No: 212034
On Sociology II
During the Winter Semester 2012 -13
I. Introduction
Everyone knows 9/11 as the day of the infamous airplane crash that brought down the twin towers in New York, destroying thousands of lives all at once. Few however, realise that the date is ominous for Indians in a different way. It is the date when The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act or AFSPA, was passed, way back in 1958, much before the 2001 attacks. Although the effects of this act were not instantaneous, the consequences of the same have been disastrous and have led to a complete destruction of the lives of the people of North East India, where the brunt the effects have been, and still are being, faced especially by the women of the region.
In this project, questions of what AFSPA is, why it was passed, its provisions, effects and how the women in Manipur are fighting it. There is also a short description of Irom Sharmila’s Fight for the repeal of the AFSPA.
II. Background of Women’s movement as a social movement in Manipur
There is a long history of social movements led by women in Manipur. The non-tribal Meitei women of Manipur have a long and established tradition of agitations for social reforms or against administrative oppressions. This significant role dates back to ancient times, where it was practice to first send a contingent of women to report any injustice to the ruler. The mistake was ordinarily corrected. This tradition has continued and has materialised today as a continued struggle for the repeal of the AFSPA.
III. What is The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act?
According to the text of the statute, the AFSPA is, “An Act to enable certain special powers to be conferred upon members of the armed forces in disturbed areas in the State of *[Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram,
Bibliography: 2) Collins’ Dictionary of Sociology – D Jary & J Jary (eds.) (HarperCollins Publishers, 1995) -------------------------------------------- [ 3 ]. L. Ibungohol Singh, An Introduction to Manipur (Imphal 1960) 34-47 [ 4 ] [ 8 ]. Jogendro Ksetrimayum, ‘Shooting the Sun: A Story of Death and Protest in Manipur’ Economic and Political Weekly (Vol 44, No. 40, October 3-9, 2009) accessed 11 March 2013 [ 9 ]