Irom Sharmila's distress call against AFSPA : Wake up dear brothers and sisters!
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 21 2014: "Wake up dear brothers and sisters.

Join the crusade against Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.

Let me enjoy normal food once again", stated anti-AFSPA crusader in a feeble but resolute tone.

He went on to ask as to why she should not love to eat as a human being.

After her release from JNIMS security ward last evening, Sharmila carried on her crusade at the protest site of the Sharmila Kanba Lup together with members of different civil society organisations.

She went to Khwairamband Ima Keithel to offer prayer to the market deity at around 3 pm today.

On learning about Sharmila's visit, a large number of people with flowers in their hands waited eagerly for the arrival of the champion human right activist.

Sharmila gets emotional as she is being mobbed by hunderds of supporters at Khwairamband Keithel

As soon as she arrived at Khwairamband, a huge crowd of people mobbed Sharmila.

Nonetheless, the crowd was kept under control by security personnel including women police personnel deployed there.

Sharmila was then accompanied by the huge crowd up to the abode of the market deity.

In the process, the crowd shouted slogans like "Long live Manipur", "Long live Sharmila", "Save Sharmila", "Detach disturbed area tag from Manipur" etc.

Taking due note of the ever growing crowd and the scorching heat, security personnel requested the crowd to allow them escort away Sharmila.

Later, Sharmila was taken to Manipur Press Club on the assumption that it would be relatively safer for Sharmila considering her health.

There she said that neither she nor any member of her family was a victim of AFSPA.

"I launched my campaign with a conviction to put an end all the terrible activities committed for a prolonged period under the shadow of AFSPA", she stated.

"If felt elated when hundreds of people were seen waiting for me at Khwairamband market but my struggle has never been in my personal interest.

It is in the interest of all the people and people need to struggle collectively" .

"Rather than sympathizing me on my fasting, people need to join the anti-AFSPA struggle directly for the struggle to conclude with a sweet victory," she stated.

Earlier, Sharmila was released under one condition or another but this time she was released without any condition.

The Court also acknowledged that Sharmila has no intention to commit suicide.

"This is one moment of victory.

In their efforts to suppress me, the Government has been gagging for the last 14 years at the expense of several lakhs", she asserted.

Saying that the Government does not respect the people's voice, Sharmila asked how could one call the Government of India a democratic country when it does not respect people's voice.

People have been denied the right to live.

In spite of the presence of an elected Government, no one feels secure in Manipur, she observed.

The preceding Congress Government refused to repealed and now the BJP is in power.

Although it was not Narendra Modi himself, one key leader of BJP once said that AFSPA would be repealed once they come to power.

Now BJP has come to power and nothing has been done to repeal AFSPA.

This only indicated that what the BJP leader said was just election propaganda, Sharmila said.

On being asked about the movement for Inner Line Permit System, the 'Iron Lady' suggested that the movement would gain greater momentum if the demand for Inner Line Permit System is coupled with the demand for detaching the disturbed area tag from Manipur.

Sharmila Kanba Lup convenor Momon Leima said that the Government has been keeping like a 'living dead woman' for the past 14 years.

Torturing Sharmila is like torturing all the people of Manipur, Momon said.

She also called upon all the to wake up and awaken the 'sleeping 60 MLAs' .