From Iron Lady to honey

Free Thinker *

Irom Sharmila at Cheirap Court complex on 29 April 2015 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

I really don't understand why people are annoyed when Sharmila gave up fasting. First of all she started the fast herself, nobody insisted or instigated her to do so.

Just imagine she was surviving for 16 long years on nose feeding. It is a great achievement. Her name should be there in the Guinness book of world records. To my utmost surprise 'Save Sharmila Group' is angry because she has given up the fast; rather they must be overjoyed because she is going to survive now.

Do you remember Mahatma Gandhi who kept on fasting every now and then for the sake of truth and justice.

Sometimes he fasted for 5 days sometimes for 11 days; perhaps the longest was 21 days. He could have done much longer but the medical science and nose feeding technology was not so developed some 80/90 years ago. Out of his 17 recorded fasts Gandhiji came out with flying colours in 4/5 cases. The success rate of hunger strike is dismally poor. However while undergoing the fast you can certainly prove your point.

We don't mind Sharmila entering politics and contesting election. But the timing is slightly disadvantageous. She should have continued with the fast and contest election from custody.

Chances of winning the election would be much higher. Then after winning the election she could give up her hunger strike. Anyway it is a good news for Khurai MLA that she has expressed her willingness to contest from Thoubal.

Even if you are elected as an MLA or become a minister, you can't do much about it. Yes of course if you become the Chief Minister you can do a Manick Sarkar, by just flushing out the Law from the State even though you can't repeal it. For annulment of the Act the PM and Parliament must do the needful. Bajpaiji, Manmohanji and Chidambaramji all tried to either scrape or amend the law. They could not do it.

This is a million dollar question why they could not do it? Because it is just like removing the Kapacha Kundlas from Karna. Even the Supreme Court had questioned umpteen times the relevance of this colonial law as obiter dicta in many judgments but in vein.

Most of the time people are talking about Sharmila as Iron-lady, phenomenal activist, relentless fighter and so on.

It seems everyone has forgotten that Sharmila is a girl, she has a tender side and she is also a poet. She said, "They have been seeing me from their own point of view without connecting with what is in my heart". Her words have expressed many things. The question of heart should not be taken lightly. Whenever there is a conflict between the head and heart the latter prevails in most cases.

If she wants to win the election she must choose her constituency wisely. If she wants to lead a political force she should not ignore her fans and friends. There is nothing wrong to continue her struggle on a new path but she must do it in consultation with all her comrades and cronies. I don't know whether she consulted her counsels and advisors. It appears, her decision was unilateral and voluntary. One staunch Sharmila fan harshly reacted, 'it is because of her love and she has forgotten the larger cause'.

But the Sharmila with the nasal pipe was more powerful, more admiring and more inspiring. I am not saying saying she should resume her fast.

Gandhiji kept on fasting in the name of Satyagraha. Sharmila a true Satyagrahi has failed for the time being. She tried for 16 long years and she has sacrificed 16 precious years of her youth. She could not repeal the Act but she has completely popularized the Law within and without.

That is again not a mean achievement. What is pondering in our minds is that whether Satyagraha or non-violence can still be a meaningful means to fight for a truthful cause in this country of Mahatma, the apostle of Non-violence and Satyagraha.

Whether you like it or not, I like the way she did it. She started the fast for a cause 16 years ago. All of a sudden she has decided to do away with her fasting.

Now she wants to contest election and become Chief Minister and also getting married with her fiancé. All the best wishes to her.

Perhaps a true love story may be behind the dramatic turn of events.

Love is a very powerful potion of life. Somebody said, platonic love is near impossible, once it is made possible it is most potent. Love has no logic, no reason, no rational, no justification and no boundary. That is why people always fall in love and never rise in love.

John Milton wrote "Paradise Lost" after getting married then he wrote "Paradise Regained" after his wife passed away.