Irom Sharmila does the Mahatma way

By Ratnadip Choudhury

Mahatma Gandhi took fasting as a means to protest when India was under the clutches of British Rule, But another ardent follower of Gandhi Ji, has resorted to peaceful fast to protest against Military atrocities, a struggle that even the Father of the Nation would not have liked to see in ‘Independent’ India. This true follower of Ahimsa is social activist Irom Sharmila – the iron lady of Manipur, who has been staying without food for nearly six years now, trying out fast as a means to revoke the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in Manipur after security forces in Malom in Manipur gunned down 10 innocent bystanders near the Imphal Airport on November 2, 2000.
The controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act only applies in Jammu and Kashmir and insurgency-affected North East, giving a free hand to security forces to search and even arrest a person without formal warrant. In Northeast, there is a mass sentiment prevailing that this Act should be revoked, since many a times it has been seen that Security Forces, especially Army and Assam Rifles, has used this Act to unleash barbaric and inhuman atrocities on tribal folks of the region. Human rights groups have been shouting that this Act has given the security forces deployed in the region, the license to kill, torture and rape with impunity.
Six years ago, Irom Sharmila took on the Government with what many have called as the longest political struggle of its kind and she chose Mahatma’s way as a means to protest. But it’s ado, in the land of Gandhi, though the world is clued in to her, not many know about her in her own land. Detained at the security ward of government run JN hospital ward in Imphal, Irom Sharmila has survived because of being force fed till the time of her release. Sharmila’s struggle has not been able to melt the ice, not even after the entire country saw Manipur go violent and Manipuri Mothers protest naked after a Manipuri lady named Manorama Devi was allegedly raped and murdered by personnel of Assam Rifles. She was arrested under AFSP Act. Seeing not much change in Centre’s mood in last Six years, Sharmila recently came down to Delhi to get people to understand the problems in Manipur and Northeast. After offering floral tributes at Gandhi Samadhi in the Capital, Sharmila continued her fast at Jantar Mantar. Talking to Newsmen she said, “I think my end is approaching. I'm here to pay my final homage to the Mahatma,"
Sharmila hardly has any political affiliation yet she has shown the nation how much mental strength the people of Northeast have. Time will say if Sharmila survives to see the repressive Act repealed, whether she does or not, people of this under privileged region have started calling her ‘ Lady Mahatma’.