| Irom Sharmila Chanu | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 14, 1972 Kongpal, Imphal, Manipur, India |
| Occupation | Civil rights activist, Political activist, Poet |
| Parents | Irom c Nanda (father) Irom Ongbi Sakhi (mother) |
Irom Sharmila Chanu (born March 14, 1972), also known as the "Iron Lady of Manipur" or "Menghoubi" ("the fair one")[1] is a civil rights activist, political activist, and poet from the Indian state of Manipur. Since 2 November 2000, she has been on hunger strike to demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of India's northeast.[2] Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, she has been called "the world's longest hunger striker".[3]
The following linked statement was released by her hand at the fortnightly habeas corpus hearing Lamphel Court Complex on November 30, 2011 and is the clearest statement of her satyagraha showing both her sanamahi/vaishnavaite and gandhian roots and her poetic style.[4]
Contents |
On November 2, 2000, in Malom, a town in the Imphal Valley of Manipur, ten civilians were allegedly shot and killed by the Assam Rifles, one of the Indian Paramilitary forces operating in the state, while waiting at a bus stop.[5][6] The incident later came to be known to activists as the "Malom Massacre".[7] The next day's local newspapers published graphic pictures of the dead bodies, including one of a 62-year old woman, Leisangbam Ibetomi, and 18-year old Sinam Chandramani, a 1988 National Child Bravery Award winner.[6]
Sharmila, the 28-year-old daughter of a Grade IV veterinary worker, began to fast in protest of the killings, taking neither food nor water.[8] As her brother Irom Singhajit Singh recalled, "The killings took place on 2 November 2000. It was a Thursday. Sharmila used to fast on Thursdays since she was a child. That day she was fasting too. She has just continued with her fast". 4 November is also given as the start day of her fast. On the Friday third of November she had her last supper of pastries and sweets then touched her mother's feet and asked permission to fulfill her bounden duty.[9] Her primary demand to the Indian government was the repeal of the AFSPA, which allowed soldiers to indefinitely detain any citizen on suspicion of being a rebel.[5] The act has been blamed by opposition and human rights groups for permitting torture, forced disappearances, and extrajudicial executions.[5][8]
Three days after she began her strike, she was arrested by the police and charged with an "attempt to commit suicide", which is unlawful under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code, and was later transferred to judicial custody.[9] Her health deteriorated rapidly, and the police then forcibly had to use nasogastric intubation in order to keep her alive while under arrest.[3] Since then, Irom Sharmila has been regularly released and re-arrested every year since under IPC section 309, a person who "attempts to commit suicide" is punishable "with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year [or with fine, or with both]".[9][10]
However from 2005 additional constraints were imposed by the Manipur State the only official document authorizing this is one sent by the Home Secretariat purportedly in response to a request from the DG Police (Prisons) asking for the Home Secretariat to ban all further visitors to her who did not first gain their clearance. This letter was deemed supra vires the authority of the Home Secretariat by HH Roland Keishing the Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal East in a meeting with Sharmila in chambers February 2011. He had summoned the Sec Gen of the All Manipur Bar Association to chambers to assist Sharmila in High Court action to overturn the ban and assert her constitutional rights. However the lawyer later reneged on his promise a pattern that has been repeated now several times each time without explanation. But on the general principle of the illegality of AF(SP)A as can be noted below many human rights lawyers have made statements and resolutions in opposition to it.
By 2004, Sharmila had become an "icon of public resistance".[5] Following her procedural release On 2 October 2006, for around four months, Irom Sharmila Chanu went to Raj Ghat, New Delhi, which she said was "to pay floral tribute to my idol, Mahatma Gandhi." Later that evening, Sharmila headed for Jantar Mantar for a protest demonstration where she was joined by students, human rights activists and other concerned citizens.[8] On 6 October, she was re-arrested by the Delhi police for attempting suicide and was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, where she wrote letters to the Prime Minister, President, and Home Minister.[8] At this time, she met and won the support of Nobel-laureate Shirin Ebadi, the Nobel Laureate and human rights activist, who promised to take up Sharmila's cause at the United Nations Human Rights Council.[8]
On 23 August 2011, Sharmila was involved in the wave of Anti-corruption movement on invitation by Anna Hazare via letter.[11][12] Following Mr Hazare's promise to visit Imphal and support Sharmila there he announced in an interview with NDTV on September 13 that he would be sending two representatives to meet with Sharmila soon to prepare for the meeting [13] Trinamool Congress have reiterated their support for her.[14] The Communist Party of India (CPI ML) has also reiterated their support for her and for repeal of AF(SP)A.[15] Neither group has responded to a request to make the moral support effective by pledging to denotify Disturbed Area Status from all of Manipur. Sharmila has been allowed to have her own words reported first urging Dr Singh to reaffirm his pledge to do something about the inhumanity of the AF(SP)A [16] Also in that report conveyed via a University Chancellor and former IAS officer she urges the CM to allow visitors especially when they come from distant lands. In Assam many NGOs have come out supporting her and urging for repeal of AF(SP)A [17] The ToI appears to have replaced the Calcutta Telegraph as the mainland paper to break Manipuri news to the world. This year 2011 the Christian Church has also become active in supporting Sharmila and agitating against AF(SP)A. The NCCI which represents Protestant and Orthodox Christians (30 million of the 1.3 billion Indians but also the hill tribals of Manipur Nagas and Kuki Chin Federation about 40% of the population of Manipur) made their first unequivocal statement on this issue in November [18] The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Guwahati HG Thomas Menamparampil also spoke out in defence of Sharmila.[19] Although he has few in his flock he has for some time been active in political agitation for peace in the area. Sharmila's spokesman has appealed to both sources directly for more effective support. Student Christians less effectively also offer moral support and prayer [20] On 18 November 2011 H Premkrishna Esq presented a paper on Sharmila to the Indian Association of Lawyers who passed a resolution seeking the abolition of AF(SP)A [21] Regrettably there is still no Indian Lawyer willing to take High Court action to overturn the blanket ban on visitors imposed illegally upon Sharmila we are still actively searching for one. In similar vein in December the National Human Rights Council in its second universal periodic review of human rights in India again requested the Government to repeal AF(SP)A so that it can conform with its treaty rights under international law.[22] Although formed by the Government following the Paris protocols with the Prime Minister and Chief Justice as ex officio members it has no authority to compel the Government to conform with its treaty obligations under international law it may only advise the government when they are in breach of international law. The advice was echoed by the working group on human rights in India and the UN [23] The working group also has no authority to compel the Indian Government to observe its treaty obligations under international law, they merely present the report to the UN which the Indian Government has been petitioning for a permanent place on its Security Council the body set up to supervise treaty obligations. Following these statements the banned UG (insurgency) outfit the Maoists Communist Party Manipur also issued a statement of support for Sharmila though one suspects this is another example of Manipuris infamous sense of humour.[24] And finally a film on the lighter side of Sharmila the poetess won the award for best documentary at the 2nd Siliguri International Short and Documentary film festival 23 November 2011 [25] Pune University has announced a scholarship program for 39 Manipuri women students to take degree courses commencing academic year 2012/2013 in honour of Irom Sharmila Chanu's 39 years.[26] These two reports are about Indian modern artists in a typically Indian bureacratic attack on Indian bureacracy [27][28] Unfortunately neither media report carries any images of the artwork. This latter sums up the recent interest in Sharmila from mainland India. It started as a Facebook social with dozens of Facebook pages taking up the name of Irom Sharmila Chanu and then fading away. Six months ago visitors to this page were lucky to make double figures, in September after the bruhaha (references deleted by wiki editors) it had risen to thousands. Now it has settled back to hundreds. It took an adrenaline rush from Anna Hazare's mercurial success in the late summer also. These campaigns in the long run may weaken the Indian Army's resolve to maintain its low impact civil war on the buffer states of Mother Bharat. But often campaigns like these marches art attacks are blowing off steam so that the middle classes can feel they have done their duty and may return to their real lives. Politicians may feel statesmenlike as they stand true to their longer term objectives despite the slings and arrows of fickle public protest. The reason they put a stop to them at all is their lack of humility, of being grounded in reality, they can't stand being laughed at. What remains is for the Manipuri people to assert their democratic rights and remove AF(SP)A from Manipur by denotifying Disturbed Area Status come the next elections or not.
Sharmila was nominated to the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize by a Guwahati-based woman's organization, the North East Network.[29]
She was awarded the 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights, which is given for "an outstanding person or group, active in the promotion and advocacy of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights".[30] She shared the award with Lenin Raghuvanshi of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights, a northeastern Indian human rights organization.[30] In Addition the largest monetary prize the first Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize was given to her in 2010 by the New Delhi IIPM.[31] She was awarded the Sarva Gunah Sampannah ‘“ Award for Peace and Harmony" [32] aka the 12th Signature Women of Substance award (Assam) also in 2010.[33] 2009 she was awarded the first Mayillama Award (Kerala).[34] And in 2010 in the presence of the Law Minister Sri V Moilly in Bangalore she was awarded in absentia a lifetime achievement award.[35] She was most recently awarded an Adivasi Ratna award accepted by her brother.[36]
She has some support in Europe and a request for letters to be sent to her within Manipur. The letters were presented to her in the form of a printed personalized slam book titled "Echel for Eche" a Pan Manipur initiative on 11 October 2011. An effective end to the satyagraha can come next year if Manipuris convert their symbolic and moral support to votes for MLAs who pledge to lift the disturbed area status from the whole of Manipur.
In Turkey 8–11 December 2010 The Which Human Rights Festival organized by the Turkish Human Rights Group the Documentarist was dedicated to Irom Sharmila [37]
The controversial BJP politician Varun Gandhi also a descendant of the Pandit-Nehru lineage recently used an internet tweet to announce his support of her [38] She has written a lot of poetry most recently a 12 poem bilingual anthology (Meiteilol and English), "Fragrance of Peace" (Nungsigi Leinam), was released by Zubaan books to coincide with the tenth year of her detention,[39] with profits used to support her cause. This appears to have been a project first suggested by Norwegian designer Mr Lars Muller, who was appointed in December 2007 by the World Organization against Torture OMCT as her 'Defending the Defenders' sponsor.[40][41] The JPF have appealed to the current SAARC conference [42] in the Maldives on behalf of Sharmila while its founder presented at the People's SAARC in Kerala [43]
Deepti Priya Mehrotra's Burning Bright: Irom Sharmila and the Struggle for Peace in Manipur details Sharmila's life and the political background of her fast.[44]
Kavita Joshi's short documentary My Body My Weapon (released by Why Democracy? in 2007) alleges violations by security forces that fuel Sharmila's resolve to keep fasting until AFSPA is repealed.[45] Tales from the Margins, a twin project of the above film, also focuses on Sharmila, locating her resistance in the larger context of women's protests against the AFSPA in Manipur.
Ojas S V, a theatre artist from Pune has been performing a mono-play titled Le Mashale (Take the torch), based on Irom Sharmila's life and struggle at several places in India. It is an adaptation of Meira Paibi (Women bearing torches), a drama written by Malayalam playwright Civic Chandran.[46][47]
Recently Save Sharmila Campaign has been launched by a joint network of civil societies (NAPM, Gandhi Global Family, Asha Parivar, Jagriti Mahila Samiti, Yuva Koshish, Asian Centre of Social Studies and Mission Bhartiyam. They all are raising voice for Irom Sharmila. Save Sharmila Campaign has organised a candle light solidarity prayer[48] on 25th JUNE 2011 at Rajghat New Delhi. Approximately 200 people participated in it from all walks of life. Later on Volunteer of Save Sharmila Campaign met with Irom Sharmila on 5th JULY 2011. Volunteer Md Tanveer Iqbal Editor Situationsasia fortnightly e-mag shared the campaign strategy with Irom and received her message for the campaign. Well he met her briefly during one of her habeas corpus hearings at Lamphel. A Srinagar to Imphal journey[49] and National Signature Campaign also planned by Save Sharmila Campaign volunteers in the month of October. Save Sharmila Campaign Volunteers demand with government To take positive steps of talks To send all party delegation to meet Irom To send special team of doctors for health check up of Irom.[50][51] This last is a demand made contrary to the direct wishes of both Sharmila and her fiance. There is nothing wrong with her health there have been four reports now all false stating that her health has deteriorated often due to the removal of her feeding tube ranging from September 2010 to September 2011. Both Sharmila and I again request that Save Sharmila and other NGOs refrain from interfering with her body. If any group is prepared to take up the call for MLAs to remove the disturbed area status from the whole of Manipur and for voters to be given that option in election 2012 otherwise these persistent attacks on Sharmila are something I guess we will both have to live with given their source. Other activities also planned and campaign is still running.
Politically the Janata Dal minority opposition party has publicly agreed to campaign for AF(SP)A repeal during the monsoon session of the Indian Parliament. Within Cabinet Dr Singh the PM has publicly asked for a reform of AF(SP)A to make it more humane. Sr V Moilly who also chaired the second administrative reforms committee one of whose recommendations was the repeal of AF(SP)A also supports change. As do the Home Secretary Sri Pillai and the Home Union Minister Sri Chidambaram. Though Sri Pillai has asked for local CMs not to apply for disturbed area status and therefore AF(SP)A whether on the books or not would cease to apply. To this end Sharmila's spokesman has requested Manipuris to vote for MLAs who pledge to lift disturbed area status from Manipur and not to seek it again until or unless AF(SP)A is repealed. The Manipur State Assembly elections will be announced sometime in 2012. If MLAs adopt this resolution Sharmila's satyagraha ends with victory and she may return to normal life. Mr A K Antony the defence minister and General Singh commander in chief of the Indian Armed Forces lead the opposition to change or repeal of AF(SP)A
On August 21, 2011, Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy, in her The Hindu editorial on Anna Hazare, contrasted Anna's media-publicized fast with the decade-long fast of Irom, including the motivations for both.[52]
Save Sharmila Campaign organised documentary screening and panel discussion in various colleges of Delhi with support of its student coordinators and volunteers. Screening and discussion already organised in September month in South Asian University, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce. Core Committee of Save Sharmila Campaign have already get support from various eminent social activists. Main members of Save Sharmila Campaign are Faisal Khan, Ravi Nitesh, Md Tanveer, Qamar Intekhab, Veena Behan, Gufran Khan, Devika Mittal, Manisha Kaushik, Aditya Diwedi & Sandeep Mishra. This campaign has already received message of Irom Sharmila. Singhjit (Irom's brother) is coordinating the campaign in Imphal. Campaign already announced Natiowide Signature Program from 02nd October 03 PM.
Nipen Singha of “SAVE SHARMILA Solidarity Campaign” has recently announced the launch of new website http://www.SaveSharmila.org to optimize the campaign. “Saving Democracy… Saving India…” is the website tagline and contains different sections which is updated regularly by the appointed authors. All the new posts on the website are emailed to all the subscribers once a day.
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