Who is Irom Sharmila ?Irom Chanu Sharmila, is a civil rights activist known to fight against the human rights violation in Manipur past 16 years. She is also known as 'Iron lady of Manipur'.
What is AFSPA ?In 1958, the Indian government passed the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), giving special powers to the Indian Armed Forces in seven sister states which they considered as "disturbed areas".According to this Act, the armed forces have the power to search anyone's property and arrest people without any warrant and to use deadly force if there is "reasonable suspicion" that a person is acting against the state.
Why was Irom Sharmila on years-long hunger strike?She was already involved in local peace movements with regard to human rights abuses in Manipur, when on November 2000, the Assam Rifles military forces shot and killed 10 innocent civilians waiting at a bus stop in a small town called Malom.This incident known as the Malom massacre triggered Irom Sharmila to go on a hunger strike against AFSPA.
What is her demand ?Irom Sharmila demanded that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that gave the army extra powers in Manipur
.What were the consequences of her demand ?She was arrested and later charged her for attempting suicide. When her health deteriorated, she was force fed through a nasal tube order to keep her alive even while she was in prison. The government couldn't break her spirit despite arresting, releasing and re-arresting every year on the charge of attempt to suicide. In 2006, she along with other activists conducted a hunger strike at Jantar Mantar in Delhi but was again arrested.
Did her hunger strike have any effect on the law?Irom Sharmila’s hunger strike got international attention and members of the European parliament too wrote to the Indian government seeking modification of the Act. But nothing substantial happened.
What is the present scenario ?Sharmila had written letters to earlier PM Manmohan Singh and current PM Narendra Modi but that has not been of much use.Hence, she has decided to end her fast on August 9th and has decided to take the political route to achieve her goal. She has indicated that she would contest the state elections in Manipur next year.
Other facts -Sharmila declared she would give up eating and drinking or even look in the mirror until the act was repealed.She has been fed through the nose in order to keep her alive.She is the winner of Gwangju Prize for Human Rights. Asian Human Rights Commission has given her a lifetime achievement award.