Shillong extends solidarity to 'Iron Lady'

A REPORTER

SHILLONG, Nov 2: Senior Adviser, IBSWO & Consultant, NEDF PBM Basaiawmoit today commemorated the 15 years Hunger strike of Irom Chanu Sharmila also known as the “Iron Lady of Manipur” or “Mengoubi” (the fair one) who had been demanding that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from Manipur.

“From my persol point I really adore and appreciate Sharmila since from the age of 17 years she made a great sacrifice by putting behind her love life, family life and other things a normal teege girl would want to do for the sake of her people by going on an indefinite hunger strike to demand that the government of India repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) from her state,” Senior Adviser, IBSWO & Consultant, NEDF PBM Basaiawmoit told newsmen here on Monday.

“The UN special rapporteur had twice made recommendations that this law should be repealed including the Santosh Hegde committee recommended the same and yet the answer given by the civilian government of India is that the military wants it,” he said.

Recalling an incident during the Inner Line Permit (ILP) agitation in the state, he said, “You may remember when the people and various NGOs were fighting to get ILP implemented in the State the Chief Minister said that he will use the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act to tackle the continuous agitation and this clearly shows that it’s easy to implement this act in any state.”

He stated that there are many intertiol humanitarian laws which have not been followed by the government of India since the Army has the fil word.

“Even when Sharmila was brought to Delhi she would not stop her hunger strike, however she has maged to stay alive till today due to force feeding,” he said adding that yet the government of India want to turn ignore this issue.

He further stated that the reason the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act has till this day not been repealed by the Indian government is due to the enormous powers the military is gaining through the Act.