by Bhupen Goswami

 GUWAHATI : Human rights activist Irom Sharmila, who is on a hunger strike against the Armed Forces Special Act (AFSPA) in Manipur, has basically broken her fast now. Irom Sharmila had been on a hunger strike since November 2000 against (the Armed Forces Special Act). During the fast, he was arrested several times and was also forcibly fed food through the nasal tube. But he didn’t give up his stubbornness.

Irom Sharmila, who was hungry for 16 years against AFSPA, will now be honoured by the BJP government in Manipur. The Manipur government is going to honour human rights activist Irom Sharmila for her 16-year anti-Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) movement. Praising Irom Sharmila, chief minister N Biren Singh today said she has sacrificed half her life by staging dharnas and hunger strikes for 16 years under the anti-AFSPA movement. The Central government has removed the Armed Forces Special Powers Act AFSPA from several parts of the three northeastern states of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. Hours after the removal of the Act, the Manipur government has decided to honour Iron Lady Irom Chanu Sharmila for her 16-year hunger strike which was part of the anti-AFSPA movement. Chief Minister N Biren Singh said, “We will definitely honour him by inviting him. I appreciate the people of Manipur, mainly Sharmila, who sacrificed half her life while staging dharnas and hunger strikes for 16 years. I want to thank all the people for their support. AFSPA has been removed for areas falling under at least 15 police stations in the state.

“Manipur-based well-known human rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila was on hunger strike from November 4, 2000 to August 2016.There was a demand to repeal AFSPA before the people’s resurgence and justice alliance was formed before the 2017 Manipur assembly elections. Irom Sharmila began her hunger strike two days after security forces killed 10 people in Malom on the outskirts of Imphal. Sharmila, 49, became the face of the anti-AFSPA movement in Manipur and elsewhere in the country. He now welcomed the Centre’s decision to remove AFSPA from several parts of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. He described the government’s move as a real sign of democracy. This is a new beginning and the result of years of fighting. He said that AFSPA should be permanently removed from the whole of North-East India. The AFSPA Act empowers security forces to carry out operations and arrest suspected insurgents without a warrant.