Irom
Channu Sharmila started her fast as a young girl of 28 years in November 2002
to protest the gross violations of human rights in Manipur in the guise of the AFSPA. She demands for the repeal of this draconian
law called Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,
1958 (AFSPA).
Every
year she is released and re-arrested under the charge ‘Attempt to suicide’
under section 309 of Indian Penal code.
In
2002 which marked the 10th year of her fast, we went to colleges to
talk to the youngsters about Irom Sharmila, her protest, about the situation in
Manipur and the AFSPA which conferred special powers to the Indian Military. We
spoke about the killings of the innocent civilians, the killing of the boy who
won the National Child Bravery Award, about Manoramma, the protest by the
Manipuri women without clothes in front of the India Army headquarters, showed
them some documentaries to garner support and express solidarity to the Iron
lady of Manipur. Surprisingly only a handful of the students had heard of Irom
Sharmila.
Today
when the Delhi court has framed charges against her, it is all over the
news. Even those who were in slumber
have woken up to take notice of the woman who has been on the longest fast of
12 years in the entire history of humankind.
She
is being forcibly fed through a pipe, a process called ‘nasogastric intubation’. She has spent her entire youth in a peaceful
protest. Yet her protest has fallen on deaf ears although the entire world has
begun to take a keen interest in the matter and have expressed their support.
She
began her fast in the Capital in 2006 after 6 years of fasting in her own
state. It took another 6 years for some action to be initiated and that too
against her. So much for peaceful protests in a country that
preaches non violence!! So this simply means ordinary citizens will
not be heard even if they fast for 12 long years whereas Anna Hazare who has
all the political backing, fasts for 2 days and the government agencies soften
up and promise to enact the Lokpal Bill.
Back
here in Andhra Pradesh state KCR fasts for a separate state called ‘Talangana’
and he gets results in 2 days – a separate state is promised. That their
demands are not yet met is another story but at least the Government took
notice and appeased these men making them end their fast.
But
what happened to Irom Sharmila’s fast? Her demand is also fair – to repeal the
AFSPA from the states where it is enforced and is being misused causing misery,
loss of life and dignity to the people in the eastern states. Is it because she
is a woman, has no political backing, her protest is not a part of any
political party’s agenda? Like non corruption and a separate are? Why is the
Indian Government so reluctant to listen to the people and their sufferings? A
country which is supposed to be the largest democracy in the world?
Irom
Sharmila has been honoured with awards at both national and international
level; documentaries and plays have been made on her life and struggle yet the
AFSPA goes on unchallenged.
Maybe
the time has come for the AFSPA to go finally in 2013 because this trial has
attracted more attention than before.
I
have a feeling this trial is a move, a strategy by the Indian ruling government
to win over the people in the seven eastern states of India also called ‘Seven
sisters’. And when
finally the AFSPA is repealed the ruling government will add another feather to
its crown after the two feathers added by hanging Kasab and Guru.
This Act is also enacted in Jammu and Kashmir in
1990 and the same occurrences have been seen since then – torturing and killing
innocent civilians, disappearances of the Kashmiri youth, and rape of
women. All of these crimes which have an
impunity attached to it. The Indian Military
under this Act is invincible and above the law.
And if the Act is repealed in J & K as well, the
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will get some breathing space and be in a position
to face his people. He will no longer
have to ‘cover up’ these incidents as he did earlier.
It is time for Omar Abdullah to join hands with Irom
and their cause is common.
