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<keyword id="149000" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Irom-Sharmila">Irom Sharmila</keyword>, the Manipuri activist who recently <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Iron-lady-Irom-Sharmila-ends-her-16-year-long-fast-wants-to-become-Manipur-CM/articleshow/53617882.cms">ended her hunger strike </a>that was going on for last 16 years, has said that she wants people to know her as a real person. 
 
"...But I'm viewed as a strange person," Sharmila said while talking to <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Im-a-real-person-but-people-see-me-just-as-a-martyr-Irom-Sharmila/articleshow/53632013.cms">TNN</a>. 
 
Disturbed by the publicity and the 'celebrity' status that she has garnered over the years, she seems to be fed up with all rumours being spread about her. 
 
"Without my knowledge they (people) have already idolized me. Without connecting with my real being (they have idolized me). That's why my natural being can't be respected by them. This is the biggest problem," Sharmila said. 
 
She still wants the severe AFSPA rule to be lifted, the legislation that allows armed forces extraordinary powers in "disturbed" regions, which formed the very basis of her hunger strike. 
 
She added that after ending her fast, her new life is going to be a bigger struggle than when she was observing it. 
 
"My demand is this (repealing AFSPA) but their sentiment is ... they just (think) as if I've fallen in hell, I think. This very hell of politics that is, (but) all these things, between politics, politicians and public are all correlated. They don't know this, this is the problem. Respect the sacred ballot box, this (is what) will bring sense in society," Sharmila said. 
 
She now wants to take a new, political route so that her demands are met and the situation in Manipur is improved, which she accepts is going to be difficult, since it will involve changing people’s mindsets. 
 
<a href="https://www.amnesty.org.in/images/uploads/articles/Irom_Sharmila_detained_again_-_4_-wm.jpg">Image source</a>

I am a normal person, but people have started to idolize me, says Irom Sharmila

<ul><li>Polls open in states of Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh where the <keyword id="602141" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Armed-Forces-Special-Power-Act">Armed Forces Special Power Act</keyword> (<keyword id="60149" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="AFSPA">AFSPA</keyword>) is still enforced. </li><li>The controversial colonial law allows the governed to deploy armed forces in places that they believe are ‘disturbed areas’.</li><li>Congress has promised to amend AFSPA to address international concerns. </li></ul> The colonial law of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is still enforced in four states that will be voting today — Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. The controversial law has often been called into question for its human rights violations. But, the Indian National Congress has promised to amend the law should they come into power. <div type="ExtQuote" text="Amend the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in order to strike a balance between the powers of security forces and the human rights of citizens and to remove immunity for enforced disappearance, sexual violence and torture." auname="Excerpt from Congress Manifesto"></div>

 Earlier this week, AFSPA was withdrawn <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/afspa-withdrawn-partially-from-arunachal-pradesh/articleshow/68687005.cms">partially</a> in the state of Arunachal Pradesh after being in force for 32 years but its still enforced in three districts — Changland, Tirap and Longing. Even Meghalaya was a AFSPA state as recently as last year until it was withdrawn <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/what-is-afspa-and-where-is-it-in-force/article23648102.ece">completely</a>. While <a href="https://swarajyamag.com/politics/why-it-is-necessary-for-afspa-to-continue">supporters</a> of the act cite that AFSPA is just an ‘extraordinary measure’ in the face of ‘extraordinary situations’, critics believe that the act is being <a href="https://amnesty.org.in/news-update/indian-government-must-repeal-afspa/">misused</a> to conduct fake encounters and the sexual exploitation of women. What is AFSPA? AFSPA — enacted by the parliament in 1958 — <a href="http://nagapol.gov.in/PDF/The%20Armed%20Forces%20Special%20Powers%20Act%201958.pdf">gives</a> the central or state government the right to call in the armed forces to help the local authorities in places classified as ‘disturbed areas’. The legal immunity of the act allows security forces to arrest people, search private property, and ban the possession of firearms without warrant is as long as they at least have ‘reasonable suspicion’ that a person is about to commit a cognizable offence. For maintaining public order, AFSPA also allows armed forces to prohibit a gathering of five or more people in an area — even by force. The act itself is from the colonial days and was enacted as a reaction to the Quit India Movement led by Mahatma Gandhi in 1942. The arrest of Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, VB Patel and other activists left the movement leaderless and incidents of violence erupted in different parts of the other. Viceroy Linlithgow used the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Ordinance, 1942 to control the riots. In 1947, the one ordinance was split into 4 smaller ordinances to handle violence resulting from the partition efforts — but it was also repealed within the same year. AFSPA was only brought back in 1958 for Assam and Manipur before gradually encompassing the other seven sister states of the north east as well as Jammu and Kashmir. Issues with AFSPA The argument for enacting AFSPA in India was that it is a more efficient way to handle insurgencies. The powers allotted to armed forces allows them to protect the boundaries of the country. And removing strict law from the picture allows the armed forces to carry out orders unhindered, not to mention to morale boost in bringing the rule of law to ‘disturbed areas’. But AFSPA is <a href="https://www.orfonline.org/research/43363-the-road-to-peace-in-kashmir-public-perception-of-the-contentious-afspa-and-psa/">reportedly</a> exploited by people in the armed forces as well. In the name of national security, incidents of fake encounters, sexual exploitation of women and other human rights violations have been brought to light. ‘ Activists like Irom Sharmila who went on a hunger strike for nine years to protest against AFSPA strongly believe that AFSPA overrides dozens of civil rights including the right to freedom of expression and the right to free association. That being said, if a wrong is committed by anyone in the army under AFSPA, they can be prosecuted in a court of law — but the central government needs to sanction an approval. Amnesty International’s <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Countries/PK/DevelopmentsInKashmirJune2016ToApril2018.pdf">report</a> calling for the end of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir cited 58 case studies where the act was allegedly used in excess by the armed forces. <div type="ExtQuote" text="In responding to demonstrations that started in July 2016, Indian security forces used excessive force that led to unlawful killings and a very high number of injuries. Civil society estimates are that 130 to 145 civilians were killed by security forces between mid-July 2016 and end of March 2018, and 16 to 20 civilians were killed by armed groups in the same period." auname="Amnesty International on the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 in Jammu and Kashmir"></div>

 Many even <a href="https://www.thequint.com/voices/opinion/would-delhi-dither-on-afspa-if-it-had-been-in-force-in-up-bihar-afspa-in-manipur-thangjam-manorama-irom-sharmila">compare</a> the AFSPA to the Rowlatt Act where the British could imprison any citizen on the basis of suspected terrorist activity against British India for up to two years without there necessarily being a trial. <div type="ExtQuote" text="The repeal of this law will not only bring domestic law more in line with international standards, but also send out a powerful message that instead of a military approach the government is committed to respect for the right to life of all people of the country." auname="Christof Heyns, the UN Special Rapporteur Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions"></div>

 The Indian Army, the organisation actually being accused of these acts, has barely come out in the open to express its stance on AFSPA. Essentially, the act is a last resort. The army is only called in once the situation is beyond the capabilities of the civil administration, the police and the central armed police forces. Congress’ promise Congress, in its election manifesto, has said that they will bring amendments to AFSPA should they win the general election. They faced heavy backlash from the opposition <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/politics/revoking-afspa-in-jammu-and-kashmir-is-like-sending-our-soldiers-to-gallows-says-pm-modi-2094245.html">saying</a> that this is an ‘anti-national’ approach and that Congress is compromising on India’s national security. 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="The government must have the power to protect its armed forces. Only then will they have the morale to fight. Revoking AFSPA would be like sending our soldiers to the gallows. I won’t let this happen." auname="Member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the current Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi"></div>

 Even Arun Jaitley, the current minister of finance and corporate affairs who aligns with the BJP, and Palaniappan Chidambaram, former union minister of finance and member of Congress, exchanged some harsh words on Twitter. <a href="https://twitter.com/PChidambaram_IN/status/1113747990714314752"> <div type="twitter" handle="arunjaitley" handlename="Chowkidar Arun Jaitley" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000828197225/f1d53aeab8f0534c7d73b0fbd5651130_normal.png" favoritecount="10332" retweetcount="4132" status="2019 Congress Manifesto is a Charter to Weaken India. After reading Congress Manifesto my worst fears have come tru… https://t.co/3yTGps3MVa" createdat="1554203974000" id="1113038257279918082"></div>

</a> <div type="twitter" handle="PChidambaram_IN" handlename="P. Chidambaram" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/603422412785328128/9Y6OuwJM_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4221" retweetcount="1432" status="Why has Mr @arunjaitley not answered the questions on withdrawal of AFSPA from Tripura (2015), Meghalaya (2018) and… https://t.co/5K4rV1ViIK" createdat="1554373188000" id="1113747990714314752"></div>

 That being said, multiple observations made different committees, like the Justice Santosh Hegde Committee and the J.S. Verma Committee, have found the AFSPA to be arbitrary and have recommended that it should be repealed. The former even explained that rather than create peace in the north east, AFSPA has widened the divide between the people living in the peripheries of India and the mainland.

A brutal military law is among the core election issues in at least 5 Indian states voting today

A tube is attached to her nose, from where a calculated dose of food is inserted into her stomach forcefully, in order to keep her breathing and her vital organs alive. Despite her frail structure, which has developed from this condition, <keyword id="768247" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Irom-Chanu-Sharmila">Irom Chanu Sharmila</keyword> continues to be a tough nut for the 13th successive year. The reason she is on fast is her demand that the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> should repeal the draconian law that accords the <keyword id="3790" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Armed-forces">armed forces</keyword> absolute power in troubled areas. 
 Her picturesque state Manipur, with most friendly people and rain forests rich in timber and herbs, could have been a picture of peace if not for the simmering conflict between <keyword id="6500558" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="Indigenous">indigenous</keyword> people and the government. Like all other places that witness <keyword id="1952107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Separatist-insurgency">separatist insurgency</keyword>, in which case the government tries to overpower the locals with generous use of force and laws to support it, Manipur has been the hotbed of conflicts since the last five decades, with peace being an intermittently occurring phenomenon. <keyword id="1172406" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Draconian-Laws">Draconian laws</keyword> have been revoked in Manipur ever since. 
 The incident that made Irom Chanu Sharmila both a legend and a victim of the government’s conspiracies occurred just before the new millennium completed a year. On November 2, 2000, armed forces killed 10 innocent civilians who were waiting for a bus in Malon, a town close to the capital city of <keyword id="45774" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Imphal">Imphal</keyword>. 
 Sharmila, also known as Mengoubi (a fair girl), was onto her regular fasting routine when the news trickled in. She used to go on a day-long fast every Thursday. But that Thursday was going to be historical. Protesting the killings, she continued her fast into the next day, the day after and many days following November 2. Her vital signs deteriorated and the news that she was fasting to force the government to revoke <keyword id="60149" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="AFSPA">AFSPA</keyword> (Armed Forces [Special Powers] Act). She was admitted to hospital and a <keyword id="1952110" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nasogastric-intubation">nasogastric intubation</keyword> was forced down her windpipe to keep her breathing, while under arrest. 
 Sensing trouble with the growing support to Irom Sharmila, the government charged her with ‘attempted suicide’ and ensured her days were split between hospital and legal institutions. But what had to happen transpired like droplets of water trickling into a solid rock. With her silence, resilience and consistent efforts, the frail woman had made a dent, and a solid one at that. This poetess with shy eyes and silken skin had turned into a <keyword id="235269" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="political-activist">political activist</keyword>, a human rights activist and also a fighter for <keyword id="97526" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Civil-rights">civil rights</keyword>. 
 And when she completed 500 weeks of <keyword id="1952116" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Continuous-fasting">continuous fasting</keyword>, Sharmila even overtook <keyword id="6355532" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Mahatma-Gandhi">Mahatma Gandhi</keyword>, the undisputed protagonist of the <keyword id="363965" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Indian-national-movement">Indian National Movement</keyword> and the global icon who stood for peace and non-violence, with her fasting credits. All of 41 years of age, she has been fasting for over 13 years of her life! But her struggle has never been daunted, affected or lost sheen and grit in the absence of food. She has been consistently writing letters to the Indian government and international agencies to press for the <keyword id="1952112" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Revoking-of-AFSPA">revoking of AFSPA</keyword>, which gives the <keyword id="15350" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Army">army</keyword> absolute power, which has mostly been misused to silence the voices that are demanding a separate state. 
 AFSPA, the legal provision that has turned Armed forces (read <keyword id="6362743" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Assam-Rifles">Assam Rifles</keyword>) from messiah to maniac, was framed before India became independent. The British had created this act to discourage the citizens of the country from participating in the famous <keyword id="122191" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Quit-India-movement">Quit India Movement</keyword>. But that was way back in 1942. 
 The act was modified a bit in 1958 and amended in 1972, in order to accommodate six sections that accord absolute power to the army, in areas of <keyword id="570941" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="civil-disobedience">civil disobedience</keyword>. Thus was born the monster, which only created mayhem. Armed forces, in order to ‘discipline’ the citizens who were into <keyword id="761056" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Activism">activism</keyword>, used it to snuff out lives indiscriminately, anywhere and everywhere. 
 
Having seen the bloodshed and the temporariness of life, Sharmila decided somebody had to take the lead. And she did. Much to the relief of the people of Manipur, the news travelled far and wide, and national and international organisations began to meet up with her. Her story has become a glowing reference to peaceful activism, globally. Awards soon followed – both from within the country and outside India. There is even a play written on her life that continues to touch the audience throughout the country. 
 It is a noteworthy fact that Manipur shares its border with <keyword id="6356970" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Myanmar">Myanmar</keyword> from where comes another story of <keyword id="1952115" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Political-resilience">political resilience</keyword> in the form of another soft-looking yet <keyword id="1952102" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="tough-woman-leader">tough woman leader</keyword> – <keyword id="56335" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Aung-San-Suu-Kyi">Aung San Suu Kyi</keyword>. 
 
Maybe, just maybe, it’s in the DNA of the people in this region. They are not the ones to accept a raw deal, be it from the government or the armed forces. 
 
Image: Indiatimes

Irom Chanu Sharmila –
The Iron Lady Of Manipur: 13 Years On, Her Activism Continues To Be A Legend

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I am a normal person, but people have started to idolize me, says Irom Sharmila

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A brutal military law is among the core election issues in at least 5 Indian states voting today

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Irom Chanu Sharmila – The Iron Lady Of Manipur: 13 Years On, Her Activism Continues To Be A Legend

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