Irom Sharmila: Lone Crusader
Manipur’s human rights activist Irom Sharmila who has been on a fast-unto-death since November, 2000 seeking the repressive Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act repealed. She opposes the Act that gives draconian powers to the security forces and has repeatedly been used with brazen brutality in the Northeast. For five years, she has been imprisoned and force-fed by the State for her ‘crime’. Irom Sharmila’s lone battle against the government is a proof of the grit and determination of a woman scorned.
Popularly known as the iron lady of Manipur Irom Sharmila has approached UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi for help by handing over a letter addressed to Sonia Gandhi to Sandeep Pandey, Magsaysay award winning activist recently when he was on a visit to Imphal’s Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, where Sharmila is on her hunger-strike. She presumes that the congress chief’s intervention would have a positive outcome and ensure the fulfillment of her demands.
A five-day solidarity fast that concluded recently which was in support of the people’s movement against the Armed Forces (Special Powers)Act, 1958 and Irom Sharmila’s lone crusade. Human rights activists from all over the country as well as the state’s student and civil society participated in the fast organized jointly by Delhi based National Alliance of People’s movement, Asha Parivar and Manipur Forward Youth Front(MFYF).
Pandey a member of the visiting team and MFYF members decided to convene a “national convention” in November over the imposition of the army act in the Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.
Sharmila’s lone crusade started a day after troopers of Assam Rifles gunned down ten civilians at Malom in greater Imphal on November 2, 2000. Sharmila was honoured with the prestigious Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in recognition of her fight against injustice.
But now it remains to be seen when her real wish i.e. the repeal of the Armed Forces Act is going to be honoured if at all and when will her crusade meet a fitting finale.
Photo: Sandip Panday and his party met Irom Chanu Sharmila on 16-09-07 on the 4th day of 5 days long solidarity fasting agitation in support of peoples movement against Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), 1958 and for saving the life of Sharmila. Pix by UB Photos.
Random Stories
26 Aug 2016 - 9:14pm |
AT Kokrajhar Bureau
A 42-years-old woman identified as Dane Narzary died when lightning struck today at Pokhalagi village under Gossaigaon police station in the district. She was rushed to RNB Civil hospital in...
6 Mar 2014 - 7:40am |
Sunil Khabacha
The influencial Manipur Students’ Federation (MSF) has said the mainland India is ignoring the histories and origin of the North East and demanded inclusion of the same in the national curriculum.“...
14 Apr 2017 - 11:43am |
AT News
Bohag Bihu, the much vaunted festival of the Assamese kicks off on Friday amid no less traditional pomp and gaiety across the state marking an entry into a new Assamese calendar year. The week long...
24 Feb 2009 - 4:36pm |
pranjitbora
Filling the void of almost a decade, the Inaugural Ceremony of Rotaract Club of Guwahati West was organised at Hotel Blue Moon on February 12, 2009. Sponsored by Rotary of Guwahati West, membership...
Other Contents by Author
The festival season has been set into motion with the celebration of Eid-Ul-Fitr today. The Muslims the world over assemble in various mosques and Iddgahs in order to offer Namaj and express their gratitude to Allah on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. The preparations for this joyous occasion start days in advance as devout muslims end the month long Ramadan fast. The word Eid signifies “greatest happiness” and Fitr stands for ‘breaking Fast”. The month of Ramadan is a sacred one for the Muslims, because it was in this month that the revealation of the holy Quran began and fasting as an obligatory institution was prescribed by Allah.But today the celebrations and...
The media which is a mirror of society has been broken into shards by the the guns of millitants in Manipur. The newspapers were missing from their usual stands in Manipur following threats and counter threats by rival factions of rebel organisation PREPAK over publication of a statement. According to the All Manipur Working Journalists Union the media was torn over a decision to publish a statement which a faction of the PREPAK wanted to publish while another opposed and threatened to react violently if published.The journalists fearing for their lives sought safety in the Imphal Press clubs instead of their homes for fear of persecution. But this is not unusual in manipur as earlier also...
We are celebrating Wild life week but as we read this hundreds of animals are falling prey to the poacher’s gun, succumbing to the onslaught of floods or becoming senseless victims of man’s cruelty. Destruction of natural habitat is a serious threat to wild life which deprives these wild animals of food shelter and water. Their quest for survival brings them in the proximity of human dwellings which in turn puts them in danger of being pelted with stones, bludgeoned by machetes or simply shot at point blank range. Indians are not abreast with the techniques of handling wild animals which stray into human habitation. Rough handling and terror of being attacked leads people to...
“I shall work for an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country, in whose making they have an effective voice, an India in which there shall be no high class and low class of people; an India in which all communities shall live in perfect harmony. There can be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability, or the curse of intoxicating drinks ad drugs. Women will enjoy the same rights as men. We shall be at peace with all the rest of the world. This is the India of my dreams”. Mohandas Karam Chand GandhiSadly we Indians have failed to live up to the India of the mahatma’s dreams. For India is still afflicted by the maladies that the Mahatma...
The Assam Lekhika Santha, a forum of women writers from the state organized a two day North East women writer’s meet on September 30 and October 1 in Shilpa Gram Panjabari Guwahati. The aim of the meet is to promote integrity among the north-eastern states and to provide a common platform to the women writers from the region.The eminent writers who were to grace the occasion are Mamang Dai and Nanni Dai from Arunachal Pradesh, Dr Limattula and Dr Temsula Ao from Nagaland, Dr Shanti Kshetri from Sikkim, Dr Shilaramani Changkham from Manipur, Karabi Deb Barman from Tripura, P Kolongungi from Mizoram, Patricia Mukhim and Al Varin Dokher from Meghalaya and other noted writers from the...
The paeans had not yet subsided regarding the communal and ethnic unity and harmony that the Indian Idol finalists had brought about in the states of Sikim and Meghalaya and the northeast for that matter that pandemonium broke loose. The fans of newly crowned Indian Idol Prashant Tamang erupted in fury at jibes made on their idol by a Radio Jockey of a Delhi based FM station. The 2000 odd fans of Tamang undertook a procession in Siliguri to submit a memorandum to the local SDO but the march turned into mayhem as they indulged into a controversy regarding the passage of an ambulance carrying a patient. The tiff led to widespread arson and triggered a chain of violence which brought in the...
Lucky Mahanta was a handsome lad in his school days, always ahead of his class academically and a bright boy indeed. After passing his Higher Secondary from a reputed boy’s school in Assam he went on to pursue higher studies in the capital city of India, a trend that is an in thing these days and gaining popularity by the day. But soon Lucky’s disposition changed his grades fell and so did his friend circle. He started hanging out with shady characters and formed a group of his own. Slowly he started borrowing money from his college mates and sometimes even begged for a couple of bucks. He sold his car and other expensive belongings to make ends meet. Vicky is now a mere shadow...
Indian television is experiencing a new revolution in the form of reality shows. There is a deluge of reality shows in each and every channel that you turn on. MTV Roadies, Popstar ki khoj in Channel V, Big Boss a rip off from the British show called Big Brother of Shilpa Shetty fame, and the plethora of singing contests from Voice of India in Star Plus, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, challenge in ZEE to the Indian Idol in Sony reality shows have captured the viewers imagination. The northeast has not yet forgotten the frenzy created by Debojit Saha’s victory in one such contest that catapulted the struggling singer into a house hold name overnight and now the northeast people are in crossroads once...
The rising price of onions is bringing real tears in the eyes of the consumers. The onion vendors are pricing them at exorbitant prices forcing the public to opt for an onion free diet. Onions are an inherent part of Indian cuisine hence such a situation greatly distresses the common people.The price rise is a direct outcome of the delay of trains bringing consignments of onions coming from outside the state.The All Guwahati Potato Onion Merchants’ Association (AGPOMA) has allegedly approached Union Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to look into the matter. The late arrival has also led to the damage of thousands of these products further escalating the prices of these perishables....
A bandh is the choicest means of protest for all political parties or organizations. We have seen umpteenth number of bandhs for hundreds of reasons such as killings, price rise, atrocities etc. But have these bandhs ever benefited the cause they are called for? Instead these bandhs reverse the wheel of an already slow progress that Assam is involved in. School children and college going youngsters are unable to complete their syllabi on time which later has a bad effect on their future results, ailing people suffer immensely for non availability of medical attention, daily wage earners are the worst sufferers who are unable to feed the hungry mouths at home. In such a predicament do these...
Comments
Pages
Add new comment