Make possible for Irom Sharmila to end fast
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: September 06 2011 -

Irom Sharmila produced before the Court of CJM Imphal East on August 30 2011 :: Pix by Bullu Raj - Poknapham

It was more than a decade back that Irom Chanu Sharmila, shocked and deeply troubled by the Malom incident of November 2, 2000 in which troops of 8 AR gunned down eight innocent bystanders, went on a fast unto death demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.

Ten years on, the Act is yet to be repealed and Irom Sharmila's unparalleled struggle against this Act still continues.

During this period, save for some rare and sporadic acknowledgement like Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurance to replace AFSPA, 1958 with a more 'humane Act', the appointment of Jeevan Reddy Commission, Sharmila's fast has largely been ignored by the governing class of this country, rarely figuring in their deliberations and debates.

Her struggle, it would appear by all accounts, never really exercised the conscience of the ruling class in particular and the common masses of the land in general, most of whom are unaware that a lone lady has been carrying on a fast for ten long years.

The mainstream media, except for an occasional and cursory mention has not shown any real interest in telling her story to the country at large.

All these are in sharp contrast to the fast undertaken by Anna Hazare. Anna's fast, part of the campaign against corruption but focused exclusively on the adoption of the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by his team by the parliament was covered live 24X7 by all the major channels and reported exhaustively by the print media.

The Central Government, which initially acted tough, even arresting Anna Hazare and putting him to jail, immediately retraced its path and totally caved in to Team Anna.

The main opposition party, the BJP went all hog to share Anna's limelight, its President Nitin Gadkari even proclaiming that the party is ready to march under the leadership of Anna.

Leaving aside, the merits and demerits of the Jan Lokpal Bill, or the question of whether an Act, however strong, be enough to tackle corruption which is so deeply entrenched in this country, let us concentrate on how Anna's movement unfolded.

There is no doubt that Anna Hazare and his team managed to tap on the long standing grievances of the common people and channelized them towards a concrete goal.

By clearly identifying the political class as the villain, responsible for all the corruption in the country, Team Anna was able to garner the wholehearted support of the middle class which went on the form the backbone of the movement.

The media, on the other hand, ever alert, waiting to pounce on any 'event' or 'issue' which will enhance their TRP rating, found in Anna Hazare's fast the most appropriate recipe for just that.

Instead of objectively reporting the series of events as it unfolded, the media became part of the campaign against corruption. The government, in the meanwhile, sensing the mood of the people in different parts of the country, and more importantly, it would seem, on the TV screens, eventually agreed to pass on his demands for consideration by the Standing Committee of the Parliament.

All these happened during 12 days of fast, and to think that Irom Sharmila has been fasting for what could be termed an eternity in comparison without as much as a sincere heartfelt acknowledgement, reeks of injustice, of discrimination, of insensitivity, to say the least.

Should the government react and act only when it is forced to, when it feels insecure? Doesn't issues concerning the life and death - literally, of its citizens, however far removed physically they are from New Delhi, deserve the Central Government's sincere and serious consideration? Ten years is a long time in an individual's life.

Doesn't Sharmila's strength of conviction, her sheer physical and moral courage, as also the support of the people of Manipur at large count for nothing?

The recent acknowledgement of Irom Sharmila's struggle in the national media and among social and political commentators, even as a spillover of the Anna Hazre movement is welcome, so is the pronouncement of the Home Minister P Chidambaram to "revisit AFSPA, 1958".

"Save Sharmila" campaign from October 2 across the country by National Alliance for Peoples' Movement (NAPM) should also help in bringing her struggle in focus.

Let all these developments find a convergence in Irom Sharmila achieving her goal of an AFSPA,1958 free land. The Central Government should Act now, late though it may be, reach out to Sharmila, make it possible for her to end her fast.