Irom Sharmila - Hope For Peace In The World

By Sandeep Pandey *

Sometime back a former Vice-Chancellor of Meerut University asked me who I thought was the best example of a living Gandhian. I did not have to think for another moment. My answer is clear -Irom Chanu Sharmila. Majority of Indian citizens, especially not belonging to North East, would not have probably heard of her. She is a 36 years old hailing from Manipur and has been continuously on fast for eight long years. She hasn't taken a single morsel of food or a single drop of water on her own during this period. The police has arrested her on the charge of attempting to commit suicide. She has been kept in the Jawahar Lal Nehru Hospital of Imphal and force fed through a rubber tube going through her nose everyday to keep her alive. She is demanding the repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act, a draconian Act which has been responsible for a number of human rights violations of citizens of North East and J&K.

I met her recently again on 29th December, 2008, when I went to Imphal. This was my third meeting with her. To meet her one needs the permission of Chief Minister and four other senior administrative, police and jail officials of the state. She has been kept in a very strict security. Between the last time I met her in September, 2007, and now, I found her health having deteriorated because of lack of nutrition and sunlight. Although I didn't find her lacking in the spirits. She got up from the bed and took out a book of her poems recently published and gave it to me. To the friends from Manipur who had accompanied me she read out a poem on a long scroll of paper written in Manipuri. She spends her time reading and writing. She was reading a book on peace-women from around the world when we entered her hospital ward.

Sharmila's resolve is amazing. I've never seen a more determined person. She is in no mood to give up. She is a strong believer and is a devotee of Lord Krishna. She thinks it is God's will that she has to continue this fast for so long. But she is sure that she will be victorious. Professor Lokendra of Manipur describes her super human effort as a 'spiritual struggle.' Looking at her one feels sorry for people who abuse religion for all kinds of purposes -from individual aggrandizement to inciting communal violence for political gains -things which become a cause of suffering for others. Sharmila has demonstrated that religion is a thing of inner commitment, not something which should be on public display. Religion is meant to promote peace, not instigate discord. True meaning of religion can be understood by observing Sharmila.

In times when violence is on the rise and we are increasingly progressing in a more aggressive world, the silent peaceful protest of Sharmila appears to be anachronistic. It is unfortunate that the governments of Manipur or India are not paying any heed to her fast. Her demand may be very difficult to meet for the government but at least the government functionaries should talk to her. She has chosen the most peaceful method of putting her demand across. If the government would not listen to her then what moral right does it have to complain if people take to violence?

She has chosen to silently suffer so that the sufferings of her brothers and sisters of North East can be ended. Such determination and willingness to sacrifice for a cause have become very rare these days. The government must distinguish between her struggle and other organized resistances. She has singularly raised the peaceful means of protest to a higher elevation. There is more substance and depth in her struggle than pretence. Her effort is more puritan than commonplace.

She is fighting for truth and justice in a non-violent manner. Those are the values which Mahatma Gandhi cherished and propagated. Very few people among the ones in public life are able to demonstrate the kind of commitment to the values of truth and non-violence for such a long period of time consistently like she has done. This is the reason why I consider her closest to Gandhi among all living people. She has not wavered or compromised. She continues her struggle with the same commitment and courage. It is unfortunate that the national press which projects all kinds of personalities, especially from the world of glamour and sports, doesn't have space for a person like Sharmila, who is a hero in true sense. She certainly deserves more space than people who win various kinds of contests, which are more of a publicity gimmick than anything else. It also reflects on the changing character of our society.

The Indian society has traditionally held the values of sacrifice and simplicity high but because of the culture of consumerism taking over we are increasingly becoming a very superficial society which practices indulgence. We are becoming so accustomed to seeing artificial and projected heros that we fail to recognize even the real ones. The assault of market on minds is such that we are loosing the fine ability to distinguish the real from the farce.

Sharmila is fighting to make this world more humane. If we don't recognize this and do not respect her struggle we will continue on the downward slide. The choice is before us. Do we want a world where people are guided by their narrow and immediate interests and trample upon each other's rights in a competitive environment? Or we want a world where human rights are respected and people feel free in a mutually caring environment? Do we want a world where police and military states are the norm or we want a world where people feel secure because of the trust that they repose in each other? Sharmila is the voice of our conscience. She is posing the question to us. We have to respond.