Skip to content Skip to navigation

Sharmila ending fast to fight polls

In yet another landmark development in the Manipur’s poll political landscape, Irom Sharmila on Tuesday announced to end her fast to fight the upcoming assembly polls.

Talking to reporters at the Imphal Court premises, she said that she is waiting for August 9 to break her 15 year long fast.

She observed that during her 15 year long she got no response from the people in power and that there is hardly any hope a positive response in near future.

She said that she has no option but to politically fight the draconian Act that empowers the armed forces to unleash reign of terror on the common people.

The decision is bound to have a huge impact on the state’s political scenario in the north eastern state hardly a year ahead of the assembly polls.

She started the fast unto death in November 2000 in protest against the Malom incident near Imphal airport.

Since then she has been declining food and drink demanding the real of the Act. During this period she has been arrested and rearrested. A couple of years back, the government has been nose-feeding her and spnt over Rs 80,000 for her security, medication and nose feeding.

Comments

Kamal Rajpal's picture

It is vital that she gets proper medical guidance on how to gradually come back to a normal diet, from experts who know the art and science of fasting. Breaking a 16 years fast may take at least 16 weeks or else it can be fatal. AYUSH or JNI Bangalore or similar organisations should be consulted.

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

The Assam government and the ruling Congress on Thursday agreed to go out against the Bangladeshi immigrants. A crucial meeting of ministers, parliamentary secretaries and Congress leaders at Koinadhara decided to stand united against the immigrants who intruded into the state after 1971. Chaired by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, the meeting decided to publish a white paper on the Assam Accord implementation on October 7. The decision assumes significance in the wake of the statewide call against the Bangladeshi immigrants.
The Assam government is trying its best to foil the bandh. It further directed the employees to ensure normalcy in official functionings on Thursday. In a notification issued on Wednesday, the government asked it employees to ensure normal functioning and attendance in all government offices and undertakings in the state in view of the bandh by BJP and supported by several parties. All heads of offices and departments have been further instructed to deduct pay and allowances for unauthorized absence from offices and duties tomorrow and to initiate disciplinary action for such unauthorized absence. According to the notification, the absent employees would have to face pay cuts and the...
Normal life across the state comes to a grinding halt under the impact of the country wide bandh call in protest against FDI in retail, diesel price hike and cap on LPG cylinders. Vehicles refused to ply on the roads early in the morning when the bandh began along with others parts of the country. Schools and colleges, shops and markets are remaining closed. The bandh is total and peaceful. There is no report of any untoward incident anywhere in the state.
Dispur rolls up its sleeves to expedite the process to rehabilitate the refugees in the riot-hit BTAD areas and Dhubri. A ministerial panel met with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Dispur to discuss the steps to rehabilitate the genuine refugees. Gogoi asked the authorities the scan the land holding documents of the refugees. Scrutiny of land holding documents of the refugees is under process in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts.
Dispur on Tuesday evinced its keen interest to have a consulate to boost trade in Bangladesh. Disclosing this, an official statement sad that the issue was raised during a meeting between Indian High Commisioner to Bangladesh Pankaj Saran and Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Dispur. Gogoi asked Saran to take up the matter with concernend officials in Dhaka. During the meeting, the chief minister briefed the Indian High Commissioner about problems related to detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants residing in Assam and asked him to take up the issue with the neighbouring country's government at the diplomatic level.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi o Tuesday faced flak for supporting 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail. CPI(M) criticized him alleging it an attempt to introduce the concept in the state will affect both farmers and consumers. CPI(M) state secretary Uddhav Barman told reporters in Guwahati that Gogoi has supported Centre's decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail. But any attempt to allow foreign companies to open such shops in Assam will be detrimental. He said that Gogoi has supported the Centre's stand without going into details regarding cost-benefit analysis.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the state falls shortage of 280 MW during peak hour and a shortage of 190 MW during off-peak hours. But if everything goes as planned, there will be no power cuts in Assam in a few years time. Before that Gogoi appraised Union power minister M Veerappa Moily of the state’s state’s power situation in presence of state Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi. The projects that came up for discussion included the Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project and Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project as well as the implementation of the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Projects.
Union Power Minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday said that he had seen no threat to UPA government after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee threatened to withdraw support if FDI decision is not given second threat.Talking to reporters in Guwahati, Moily said that FDI is a strong decision we have taken and this is going to transform the entire economic scenario.
A slew of power projects is waiting to get Central help. Dispur urged the Union Minister to ensure adequate coal supply to Margherita Thermal Power Project and gas supply for the Amguri Power Project. Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi made a presentation on the status of the various power projects in the state and its various requirements and shortcomings. The projects include Lower Subansiri Hydro Power Project, Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project and Implementation of Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Project in Tinsukia and Goalpara districts.
Union Power Minister M Veerappa Moily on Monday assured Assam of extra power to help the state tide over the black-out like situation. Reviewing the state’s power situation in Dispur, he told reporters that the Centre would provide all possible help to the state to improve power scenario. Moily discussed with Chief Minister the possibility of tapping power supply from neighbouring Bhutan.