Revolution, Thy Name Is Woman

Czadanda Saint *

Irom Sharmila released from judicial custody on 22 January 2015 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

We are all born to die. We are nothing but insignificant specks in this conundrum called universe. There is no reason as to why we exists. Why are we here? Why we have to die? And most certainly, we don't know why we live. Or in fact we don't need to know. Like Carl Sagan once aptly put, "we, humans, are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think its forever". The insignificance of being human. The harsh reality. But Carl Sagan is not right at all the times. Even though we humans tend to be like butterflies; there are some amongst us, who in those moments of flutter, manage to create a butterfly effect, so powerful, which reverberates forever throughout the walls of time.

Even though we humans are prone to have illusions of grandeur and magnificence of our own existence, there are indeed some of us who do managed to rise above all the insignificance and live up to the grand designs of our own minds. The lucky ones who managed to find their 'reason' even when we are repeatedly told that our existence are meaningless. The reason worth fighting for. The reason worth dying for. And most importantly, the reason worth living for. And thus, in the process becoming truly immortal. Beyond the reaches of time. Beyond the reaches of God himself.

It was on 26th November 1949 when we, the people of India solemnly swore to constitute India into a democratic republic and to secure to all us citizens the three cherished ideals of justice, liberty and equality and to promote fraternity amongst ourselves. That was the mandate. That was supposed to be our tryst with the destiny. 66 years on, we are definitely a republic, but have we been able to secure the democratic epitomes of justice, equality and liberty of us citizens as desired and dreamt of, 66 years ago? The answer is no. And no, we definitely have not been able to promote fraternity amongst ourselves, with no discrimination on the basis of race, colour, region and otherwise.

India is a country of diversity. But no, there is no unity in this diversity. Nevertheless, amidst this imagery of gloominess and hopelessness, this 26th January 2015, we are celebrating our 66th Republic Day of free, independent and sovereign India. And indeed, that is reason enough for celebration. Apparently, we have trod on, maybe unlike a well-oiled war machine, but we have trod on nonetheless.

And there have been a few outstanding persons along this journey of 66 years, who have stood out and have stood the test of time. They have been reaffirming the faith in democracy of India, whenever necessary. So, it gives me immense pleasure and great pride in mentioning such a person who literally happens to be so close by; who happens to have breathed the same dusty air as I do. Who happens to have grown up in almost the same places as I did. And who happens to be, by definition, the sister of all. She is the silent pillar of strength reassuring the faith in democracy of India, since 2000 A.D.

Irom Chanu Sharmila, the 'Eche', the sister of all, is one hell of a woman. I believe Gandhiji once emphasized the fact that the means is as important as the ends. So, if we are to measure the sincerity of a struggle by the means employed, I think our Eche's effort has overwhelmed every other throes of the recent times. The means she is employing is so heart-breaking, so gut-wrenching and at the same time, so full of love and compassion that, it makes me wonder, in those random musings, how beautiful the tragedy of life is. It is noble to die in the battlefield for your country. It is nobler to die for something which you stood for.

But refusing to die, carrying on the fight for the cause you believe in, is no mere flutter of a butterfly. You can feel the hand of God being wrestled to the ground. When I think of Eche, I see only 14 years of being a living embodiment of sacrifice. Fourteen years of being a prisoner of her own conscience. And she carries on. She refuses to die. She refuse to die for the cause she stood for. She refuse to play the martyr. She choose to live, she choose to fight. She is not giving up. Not now, not ever. And she is going to live a thousand years.

Growing up in a world devoid of even the shadow of an exemplary leadership, Eche is the cornerstone for many of our generation to distinguish between the insignificance of mankind in general and the chosen few, who will resonate throughout the eternity. Eche may not be a leader in the contemporary sense, but a revolution does not necessarily need a contemporary leader. The extraordinary times we live in, we need extraordinary measures; an extraordinary leader. We don't need fake plastic trees anymore, no more fake Chinese rubber bands. No more fake plastic love. The world may or may not crumble before us but it's time to get real.

Our Manipur have a glorious history of extraordinary women leading the way in every walk of life. Nupi Lan to Rani Gaidinliu to Meira Paibis to Kunjaranis and Mary Koms, the list is undeniably very lengthy. Probably, the only thing we are lacking now is a woman leader in the 'contemporary' sense! Amongst them however, without belittling their achievements in their respective endeavours, Eche stands alone as a distinct light. Without a peer. Or rather, she stands all alone.

More like a silent light on the horizon; unmoved, unswayed, but so far away. 15 years ago, on a cold wintry November morning, she made up her mind to stand against AFSPA. And come 2015, the stance has remained unchanged. 14 years have gone by. Little boys have grown up during this time. Little wide eyed girls have matured into world-beaters and they are taking on the world, the contemporary world we live in. Times have changed. The world has moved on. And incidents like the Malom Massacre are slowly becoming an unwanted reminiscence of the unwanted past. But Eche have stood like a rock, unweathered by the forces of time.

The fancy neon lights, twinkling in the hazy city evening. The people hurriedly slithering past each other in the busy streets where 'tomorrow' is not just a fancy word. Living their dreams, their lives, in the perennial hope of a better future; with all their hopes pinned on building a city of the future. What do they know? What do they know of what it takes to live? What do they know of 5th November? What do they know of real steel flowing in the veins?

Not so far away from the hustle bustle of the city-life, Eche is lying imprisoned, though more as a prisoner of conscience and less as a high security prisoner of a hospital ward. Winter is chilly in Imphal. But unlike chilled beer, winter in Imphal doesn't warm our minds. It freezes our bones instead. And Eche is waiting. Waiting. In this cold. Waiting. With a hospital window for company, she is waiting for the last leaf to fall. Every fifteen days, she makes her solitary trip to the civilisation. From Porompat to Lamphel and back again. If only we knew how lonely she has been and she is now. If only we could see that something in her eyes.

If only we could hear that something in her voice. If only we could feel how she is compelled to stay forever young, fighting for justice, peace and democracy. Amidst the changes happening around the Imphal city, she has to remain forever young, waiting for the last leaf to fall. Post Sangai Festival 2014, even the roads are no longer bumpy, from JNIMS High Security Ward to Court of Judicial Magistrate, Lamphel. The plying of the low floor JNURM buses during the Sangai Festival has made sure that there are no potholes in its predetermined route.

Time and time again, Eche is arrested and discharged by the Court. But she is not free. She will never be. Unless AFSPA is repealed, she will forever remain a prisoner of conscience. High security hospital ward or the makeshift protest platforms in the Shamu Makhong or Porompat or Jantar Mantar, her struggle will continue, alone or not. Because she is standing with truth, she don't need to look behind her shoulder to look for who is following her and who is not. She doesn't care and she will carry on the fight for justice and democracy.

No doubt the world has moved on. Recently, the High Court of Manipur has announced compensation for the eighteen victims caught in crossfire, misfire or deliberate fire that is now known as the Malom Massacre. But Eche has stood like a rock. Her demand is repeal of AFSPA. And unless that happens, we are not going to see an end to her ageless struggle. Notwithstanding the fact that the recent judgment of the High Court of Manipur is in the right direction towards righting the various atrocities and abuse of power committed by the Security Forces in the name of maintenance of law and order, the message of Eche is still very clear. Repeal AFSPA. That's it. Law is for the people. Not the other way round. But the million dollar question is- Is there anyone listening?

Eche was charged with attempt to commit suicide. But she is staying alive for more than fourteen years without a drop of water, without a morsel of food. Attempt to commit suicide, my foot. And in any case, section 309 IPC is about to be scraped. There will be no criminal offence as attempt to commit suicide under the Indian laws. So, with what alleged criminal activity will the State of Manipur charge Eche now?

Or in the alternative, will the State finally look at the bigger picture and stop playing hide and seek for once? Or will the State play hardball? Any scenario is much more welcome than this mind-numbing monotonous indifference. For how long the game will be played? For how many times Eche will be arrested and brought before the Court? And for how many times will Eche be freed by the Court after the statutory period of judicial remand is expired? The drama of arrest, discharge and subsequent re-arrest have continued, as if we are all caught in a time warp. Like a badly recorded cassette caught in an unending loop! No case has been able to be made out against Eche till now.

At the most, the allegations brought against Eche has been dismissed at pre-trial stage only. Every time, the Magistrate have decided that there is no sufficient ground for proceeding with the charges labelled against Eche. And hence, she deserves to be free. Every order of the Magistrate discharging Eche is confirmation of the fact that there is still rule of law in this country, and State or Non-State actors are not above it. Justice demands that Eche should be left free from relentless persecution by anyone for their own vested interests. But justice is yet to prevail!

It is sure as hell that Eche is not going to give up her fast, unless AFSPA is repealed. That ship has sailed long time ago. And it is almost the height of naivety to assume that Eche is trying to commit suicide. If she had wanted to die, she could have just self-immolated herself, in protest against AFSPA. But she did not. And apart from this, there is the brutal truth that she is holed up in the high security JNIMS hospital ward for the last 15 years. She could have 'checked' out anytime she liked in the past 15 years. But she didn't. So, why the blatant lies? Why the false and baseless allegations against Eche?

If the State and the Non-State actors have really cared about the well-being of Eche, the question of AFSPA need some answers. Answers. Not lip service. Unless, we are willing to commit to it, the false pretence of showing care and concern about the well-being of Eche has to go. The care and concern shown should not be directly proportional to the chair we are sitting and the power we are wielding. No doubt, Manipur is in need of a revolution. But revolution does not mean bombs and guns alone. Revolution can have many facets. And more importantly, the revolution should be for what we have promised ourselves on the fateful day of 26th day of November 1949- justice, liberty and equality. Eche is showing the way for the last fifteen years. She is 'the light which will shine once in a million years'.

And we only had to follow the light. It was as simple as that. But, we, the people of Manipur have failed, apart from the usual inept Government. Eche, the woman, fought for justice, peace and democracy all alone, and that too, by being holed up in a high security JNIMS hospital ward. And the rest of us Manipuris, what were we doing? A lady who can't make it home before dark is still looked with certain suspicion and ridicule. We are so much engrossed in our little worlds of ego and false pride that we have failed to even notice that the light shown by Eche is slowing fading away, with time. We, the people of Manipur, have failed. And finally, to say the least, thank you Desmond Coutinho, for reminding us how much we have failed Eche.