Uncompromising Irom on AFSPA

Irom Sharmila is still firm on her stand on the Arms Forces (Special Powers) Act. She is dead oppose to the Act which empowers the security forces only to ride roughshod on the common people in the name of counter insurgency operation.  

This was what the Manipur rights activist told a local court in New Delhi on Tuesday. She observed that AFSPA should be scrapped as she has no proper word to describe the immense hardship on the people. “Thousands of innocent persons have been killed over the years only because of the draconian Act,” she said.

Her statement was recorded before the court as she was facing the trial for allegedly trying to commit suicide while undertaking fast-unto-death at Jantar Mantar in 2006.

Appearing before the Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain on Tuesday she said that she had sat on a fast. But she was forcibly removed by the police from there.

The court had on June 6 this year concluded recording of prosecution evidence and had fixed the case for recording of Sharmila's statement under section 313 of CrPC. Sharmila had earlier told the court that she was very much eager to eat if she got the assurance that the "draconian" act will be revoked. She further accused the police of violating her fundamental rights.