Fasting for nearly 16 long years : Appreciating Sharmila's protest
- The Sangai Express Editorial :: March 03 2016 -

Not that she has ever been out of public consciousness. However it is significant to note the manner in which Irom Sharmila has been hogging the limelight in the past two/three days.

Freed, resume fast and then get taken into judicial custody.

Nothing new here for this is what has been happening ever since the Iron Lady decided to launch her fast to demand the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act in November 2000.

Once again Sharmila is under judicial custody and once again there is not the slightest hint that she is ready to give up her fast.

And so the annual turn of events will continue and it is significant to note that lately Sharmila has been speaking out her mind against the lack of response from the public to her demand.

Has she got a point here is the natural question that follows, but important to note that the marathon hunger striker had also appealed to the titular king of Manipur, Leishemba Sanajaoba to ‘awaken’ the people for a mass campaign against the Army Act.

Intrinsic in the appeal is the acknowledgement that while the people fully back her, there has been no organised movement against AFSPA for years.

Perhaps the last time that the people came out on the streets to demand the repeal of the said Act was way back in 2005 when the bullet riddled body of Thangjam Manorama was found and womenfolk staged the historic nude protest in front of Kangla, which then housed the Assam Rifles.

The nude protest and the days of street protests that Manipur witnessed back then prompted the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to fly down to Imphal and take stock of the situation.

The recommendations of Justice Jeevan Reddy Commission which was then constituted to look into the demand of the people were put in cold storage and AFSPA continues, though it has been repealed from the seven Assembly segments of Imphal Municipal areas.

A clear indication that the struggle against AFSPA will continue and this is best exemplified with the ongoing fast of Irom Sharmila.

Fasting for nearly 16 years is not a joke and it would do well for the people to remember that though Sharmila may be nose fed, she has not had the joy of tasting a morsel of food for nearly 16 years.

This is not a joke and this is something which everyone should take note of.

Remember the juicy mango that one gets to eat or the jug of fresh lemon juice in the summer and this will help all to appreciate the struggle that Sharmila has been waging for years.