"If the Government listens only to Hazare, I request Hazare to fast for Sharmila"

In a telephonic interview by Sangeeta Barooah Pisharoty, Irom Singhajit, the elder brother of Irom Sharmila says that the Central Government's discrimination is apparent and it became for clear after the Anna Hazare campaign.

As Gnani Sankaran says, "When the GOI acted swiftly on negotiating with Hazare, on Sharmila's account, she was arrested for attempting to commit suicide and force-fed by tubes". The GOI's staying silent on the armies activity in Manipur makes him feel as if we are all dead to Delhi.

But he further says, "But our resolve is still strong. My sister has not demanded sovereignty, a separate country. All she is asking for is her rights as a citizen of this country to be respected. When the rights of citizens of other States are respected, why is it not so in Manipur?" With AFSPA, nobody's life is safe in Manipur.

A. Kaisii in his article Price Of Youth In Trouble-torn Region writes, "The unlimited and uncounted provisions in the AFPSA in which even a non-commission officer was given excessive power, including the power to take life without a judicial determination of guilt, all in the name of 'the nation', it is only a matter of time before the power is abused." Yes the power has been and is been abused by the armies for many years now. They not only escape judicial enquiries but can also kill at will.

Rituparna Chatterjee writes, "AFSPA has been imposed in Manipur and most of the Northeast since 1980. It allows the army to use force, shoot or arrest anyone without warrant on the mere suspicion that someone has committed or was about to commit a cognizable offence. The Act also prohibits any legal or judicial proceeding against army personnel without the previous sanction of the Central Government" .

Singhajit further says that, if he wants to meet his sister he has to write to the State Home Ministry. He says, "If I go there daily to pester for it I manage to get permission in 13 to 14 days' time. Otherwise, it takes over a month. So, whenever someone requests me to arrange a meeting with Sharmila, I always seek 35 to 40 days' time.

Though the time allowed depends on the jailor, I often get about an hour's time with her". This is the fate of Sharmila for being born in Manipur. She has been fasting for over a decade now but to the GOI it is just someone from Manipur fasting. Had she been from some other place of mainstream India, it would have been God knows four days.

To Yogendra Yadav, the relationship of the Central Government and NE is more like "the landlord and tenant". SANGEETA BAROOAH writes, "Many civil society groups across NE have been asking for repealing of the Act and raising the issue of Sharmila being treated like a criminal. A section from the world of arts is trying to raise awareness through their work in various States.

But Sharmila and her cause lack mass support in mainland India." She further quotes Ashis Nandy saying, "Since Sharmila's campaign has gone on for too long, the middle class and media have lost interest. There is so much to distract the middle class today."

However, she fells Sanjoy Hazarika has a counterpoint to the oft-perceived 'limited' scope of Sharmila's campaign. Hazarika says, "Hazare only questioned the corrupt politicians, so it was easy for the Government to respond to it but Sharmila has questioned the State and its wrongdoing. That is why she is facing stiff resistance.

She has done what she could do, now is the time for the civil society from all over India to take up her cause and force the Government to amend the draconian law. Why can't people from outside Manipur organize a mass fast on her behalf? If the Government listens only to Hazare, I request him to fast for her."

If it was not for AFSPA, Manipuris like any other Indians would have been leading a normal life. Singhajit would have been working in the State Agriculture Department had Sharmila not begun her fast. His mother would have been worrying about her sister in some other way. Our mothers would have slept peacefully when we go out a night. If not for ASFPA, we would have been just another happy Indian.