Sharmila's fast enters 87th day

IMPHAL, January 30: The fast-unto-death of 28-year-old Manipur girl Irom Sharmila against the infamous Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 entered the 87th day on Tuesday. Sharmila launched her agitation on November 5 last year demanding immediate removal of black laws from Manipur. The strike was a consequence of the killing of 10 innocent civilians including a national bravery awardee by the personnel of 8 Assam Rifles on November 2 last year. She is currently continuing her agitation inside the security ward of JN Hospital, Porompat in Imphal East district. Earlier, she was detained at Sajiwa jail but after her health deteriorated and public tension mounted, she was admitted to the hospital by the State authorities. She is still refusing to eat and the doctors of the hospital have put her on life support system and are feeding her through nose. The Chief Minister Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh, who is said to be against the strike, at last visited Sharmila on January 11 along with this Cabinet colleagues to request her to end her fast. Sharmila in return said, "I am a simple Meitei girl who is very much concerned about the sufferings of the people due to the imposition of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and other draconian laws." She further said, "I want to sacrifice my life for the welfare of the people." It is worth mentioning here that many innocent civilians have become the victims of the black laws imposed in Manipur since the last few decades. Many rights bodies have been shouting for withdrawal of the black laws from Manipur. However, the authorities are still keeping silence over the demands. Lakhs of people residing in Manipur also staged a number of protest rallies against the killing and torture of innocent civilians by the security forces particularly by the paramilitary forces deployed in the State in the name of counter-insurgency operations under the draconian laws. Besides, the womenfolk of the State have also been holding public meetings and sit-in protest, in each and every villages in rural as well as urban areas, demanding immediate removal of the black laws in order to fulfil the demand of Sharmila. At this juncture, the United Front Ministry led by Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh had recently constituted a high powered committee to study the feasibility of withdrawing the Disturbed Areas Act from Manipur. However, things are yet to be expedited. The committee headed by the Deputy Chief Minister Leishangthem Chandramani Singh had a series of meetings to review the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958.