Sharmila began her hunger strike in November 2000.
AB Wire
The iconic manipuri human rights activist Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been on a fast for 16 years demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), will break her fast on 9 August and decided to contest elections.
“I will break my fast as the government has failed to give any positive response. I will fight election to resolve the issues,” she said on Tuesday. The 44-year old told a district court in Manipur about her decisions and also said that she wants to marry.
Reports say that she will contest the next Manipur elections as an independent candidate.
Sharmila has been arrested, released and again arrested several times on the charge of trying to take her own life. She has been confined to a room at a government hospital and force-fed through a nasal tube for 14 years.
She had been re-arrested on March 2, merely two days after she was released, when a court found her not guilty of the charge of attempt to commit suicide.
Sharmila began her hunger strike in November 2000 against the killing of 10 civilians by security forces at a bus stop near Imphal airport. Her strike then got national and international attention became a weapon against AFSPA, 1958 which in effect in many parts of north-eastern India and Kashmir.
1 Comment
It is vital that Irom Chanu Sharmila gets proper medical guidance on how to gradually come back to a normal diet, from experts who know the art and science of fasting. Breaking a 16 years fast may take at least 16 weeks or else it can be fatal. AYUSH or JNI Bangalore or similar organisations should be consulted.