Irom Sharmila- an iron lady

A pale figure, but with piercing, bright and lively eyes in which hope to meet her demand and love towards mankind could be easily viewed. Feeble from body as she has been on fast unto death since November 2000, but determined and tough by heart, the Manipur’s human rights crusader Irom Chanu Sharmila, who took her imprisonment not as a punishment, but a bounden duty to mankind.

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Irom Sharmila, born in 1970, is a woman activist from Manipur best known for her campaign against the controversial Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA), 1958, which completely changed her life and made her from an unknown to known personality. But the path to become well known was not as easy as she has to pass and is passing through an untold melancholy of life.

Born in a simple family she would not have thought even in dream to be a crusader of human rights and freedom fighter against government’s measure. Thursday was a normal day like any other day but this was the day when she used to fast since her childhood. Till then she did not know the ‘fast of the day’ would become her destiny. Since November 2000, when security personnel gunned down 10 civilians near Imphal airport, Sharmila went on a fast-unto-death after her returning from the bloody spot, demanding the removal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 (AFSPA) as the cause of inflicting brutality to Manipuris by the Indian Army.

She was arrested by the police three days later and sent into judicial custody after being charged with attempting to kill herself. Since then she has been forcefully feeding through nasal for more than seven years.

Armed Force Special Powers Act (AFSPA) is a law that can come into force in any part of India declared as "disturbed". The act allows anyone of any rank in the army or a paramilitary force under its operational command to shoot, arrest or search without warrant; and to kill on suspicion alone. Besides, there is little scope for judicial remedy.

The whole of Manipur has continuously been under this inhumane law since 1980 with some minor exceptions in recent times.

The routine work of arrest and release has been followed for years, as under the law a person accused of attempted suicide cannot be detained for more than a year. So she is released for a day when the year completes and by the next day again is being arrested by the police.

The crusader Sharmila Irom who has become the face of protests against the AFSPA was released on 7th March 2008 as the punishable period of one under the Section 309 (attempt to commit suicide) had lapsed by then. She was arrested again on the next day afternoon as she persisted with her agitation demanding total repealing of the controversial Act.

Sharmila Irom has been in judicial custody since March 6, 2007 owing to not filling the necessary bail bonds.

The Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR) condemned the re-arrest of Irom Sharmila, a recipient of the Kwangju Human Rights Award by the Manipur Police for her alleged attempt to commit suicide, but of no avail.