AFTER ANNA HAZARE IT IS TIME TO SUPPORT IROM SHARMILA

The world saw india’s fight against corruption by means of Anna Hazare’s fast. Anna Hazare, who is from Maharashtra, was on a fast unto death last week to demand a strong anti-graft Lokpal Bill with the involvement of civil society. But 97 hours later, he broke his hunger strike as the government gave into his demands.

I now feel it is time to spare a little thought to someone who has been on a fast for 10 years and her thoughts have never once been heard. I am reffering to Irom Sharmila from Manipur, also known as the iron lady of India. She has been on a fast ever since nov 4^th 2000, demanding repealing of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur and other states of the country's northeast.

The AFSPA (Armed forces special powers act.) was passed on September 11, 1958 by the Parliament of India. It conferred special powers upon armed forces in what the language of the act calls "disturbed areas" in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. It was later extended to Jammu and Kashmir as The Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, in July 1990.

Her story, more than a decade old, started with the infamous Malom massacre of November 2000 when 10 people, including a 1988 National Child Bravery Award winner, were gunned down by security forces in Malom town of Imphal valley. The paramilitary forces claimed the civilians died in cross-firing.

At this point she was one lady who stood up and took notice of all the misuse of power, and decided then that since no one was willing to fight for it she would. The next day, nov 4^th she took up her fast until death, to make the people aware and coax them to fight alongside her.

She has been put into judicial custody since November 2000 when she went on her fast-unto-death, protesting  for those people ,those 10 civilians who were killed in cold blood by the Assam Rifles in Imphal.

 “The government will not remain a silent spectator (as attempt to commit suicide is against the law),” Ibobi Singh, Manipur Chief Minister said adding that the government is trying to bring peace besides safeguarding the fundamental rights of the citizens. But however the government has refused to go any further about it. Informing that the State government had tried to convince the human rights defender to withdraw her agitation, the chief minister added that the government even lifted Disturbed Area Act from some Imphal areas. But she has continued her fast till date.

Sharmila is being fed forcefully, three times a day, through a nasal tube, which is apperent and featured in all her pictures. It is said that her body organs have begun to degenerate , her menstrual periods have halted. The tube through which she is forcefully fed is continuously painful.

My questions to all my fellow Indians out there is that if the demand for Anna can be met in a few hours of fast, why her demand can't be met when she is on a fast for 10 years? Is it because she is from Manipur and the north eastern states are not treated equally?

It is time for us to wake up and fight for every part of our country. Because after all, it is our country. Anything that happens anywhere in our country effects us in some way and as Indians it is our right to know and our right to defend our people.

I support Irom Sharmila. Do you?


SUBMITTED BY: NAMITA SRINIVAS
                             3RD YEAR, B.A.