The Extraordinary tale of Irom Sharmila
By Ritika at 17 March, 2009, 3:11 am
The International Woman’s day came and went on March 08. The usual stories and awards did rounds in the media. Most of the reports were of high profile women celebrities mostly in Bollywood, politics or other glamorous professions. Here is a story that caught my attention and I thought I will put it across you, in case you have missed it buried in the middle page of some newspaper.
Irom Sharmila, the iron lady of Manipur, has been on fast for the past 8 years demanding withdrawal of controversial Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958 in Manipur. Sharmila had begun her fast unto death in 2000 after Assam Rifles personnel allegedly killed 9 innocent persons in an encounter with insurgents. She is freed every time she completes her maximum term of one year for the crime and is again taken to the jail once she starts her strike. Sharmila has been forcibly fed nasal drip in custody for the past 8 years
To go back to the history of Manipur, with a population of some 2.3 million, it has seen military operations against a host of militant separatist groups since 1980 and human rights organisations often describe the army’s powers as “draconian”. In 2004, Manipur erupted after the brutal rape and murder of Manorma Devi, allegedly by soldiers of Assam rifles. After some days of protest, the government withdrew the law from certain areas of Manipur. But although a committee of experts, led by a former Supreme Court judge, recommended that the AFSPA be scrapped, the central government has given no indication that it will do so.
Sharmila was re-arrested on March 10 after she was released on March 7, eve of Woman’s day, on charges of attempt to suicide as she went on hunger strike again. She says she will continue the fast until the act is withdrawn unconditionally. Such courage and determination is still seen in her steely eyes even though her body has suffered irreparably for the past 8 years. She has inspired the whole of Manipur to fight against the draconian act and a mobile street corner campaign has been launched in various parts of Imphal called the Sharmila Kanba Lup (Save Sharmila campaign).
And though she has managed to inspire the whole of Manipur, the government, both central and state, continues to show apathy towards the rising unrest and refuse to curtail an act which they think is essential to maintain the law and order of the state. Whether the act is necessary to restore the order in the state is another debate, but just for her courage to stand by her beliefs with full conviction and not giving up her fight, my vote for woman of the year definitely goes to her. And so while we have a woman PM aspirant (Mayawati) giving grand feasts to her political friends on one hand, on the other hand, we have a woman being forcibly fed for the past 8 years to gain something that does not bring any personal benefit to her.
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