Attack on Sharmila

“I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. They are so unlike your Christ:” Gandhi. Now, if you read it in the same tread by ‘Eche’ Sharmila, she is probably likely to say “I like your India. I do not like your Indians. They are so unlike your India.”

The moment I heard that few right-wing thugs attacked on the supporters of ‘Eche’ Sharmila Chanu in Delhi last week, while they were trying to hold a peaceful protest march against the most controversial and draconian –Armed Forces Special Power Act, my mind tried to catch a glimpse of Mahatma Gandhi, who strongly advocated and pioneered of nonviolent, for peace and harmony across the world in the form what he called Satyagraha.  I know, I was wrong that this is not the land of Gandhi, where he dreamed, where he hoped for a country, a land of diverse caste, creed... living together. Also I know that the country named India is using his name and exploited the humanity. But my simple argument is - why is India still observing 2^nd October and International Day of Non-violence by the United Nations. Don’t you think it is mockery to the ‘Father of Nation’, who they say because of his Satyagraha the British left India? Still unbelievable!

Now, coming to the point. Why these so-called right wing goons attacked those people who simply held a silent rally against the Act? Did Sharmila do something wrong or wage war against the country? Or is it a manifestation of dominant attitude with a juvenile mindset lingering in the name of ‘Bharat Mataki Jai, Vande Mataram’, who even do not fully understand what the meaning says? Or, do they really know what is India?

If they really believe in Mahatma Gandhi and love Vande Mataram, they should first try to find who is Sharmila and why she is being on fast for more than a decade, before raising their voice and such a callous and unsolicited character being shown towards her, whom millions are praying and looking upwards every day.   

As the Sangai Express rightly pointed that “the very attack is a damning testimony of the growing belief that to Delhi, the North East region is an outpost, a territory that exists to ensure the security of the rest of the country no matter if in the process the very people inhabiting this region are subjected under an Act which empowers the security forces to shoot anyone to death on mere suspicion without the fear of being hauled up for crossing the line that divides duty and murdering. It now seems that this Act now means that it offers immunity not only to the security forces but also to the zealots to whom Nationalism or love for the country may come garbed in the form of right wing Hindu extremists, who may attack anyone standing against AFSPA with impunity.”

If it is the belief than do we need to relook at the history, how India became a nation and how this very Act that has been imposed in the North East for over half a century has become a symbol of hatred and colonialism? If the past events tell us the reality, many great emperors/nations in this world have banished from this earth right from Great Alexander to British Empire to Hitler to invisible Hosni Mubarrack and Muammer Gaddafi.  Those right wing thugs should learn the history first and should not try to recreate the past events of bloodsheds.

 ‘Eche’ Sharmila is just a normal human being. She is not like even Gandhi, who spoke different languages at different people and different places. She hates bloodsheds; she hates differences between man and man. That’s why she has been fighting against the blooded AFSPA. Eche, we are with you.