The South Asian: Manipuri Women Demand AFSPA Repeal

December 30, 2008

Manipuri Women Demand AFSPA Repeal

Sandeep Pandey writes about the ongoing hunger strike by women in Manipur demanding repeal of AFSPA.

women's organizations in manipur, coordinated by 'meira paibee' (mothers' organization), have come together as 'sharmila kanba lup' (save sharmila group) to launch an idefinite hunger strike since the international human rights day, december 10, this year, with the slogan 'save sharmila, repeal AFSPA'. hundreds of women from nearby areas arrive every morning and sit for the entire day and next day it is the turn of women from another locality. with a strong network of 'meira paibees' in manipur the movement is self- propelling. groups of women are coming in by reading about the protest in local newspapers.

the fast is going on at PDA complex, next to jawahar lal nehru hospital in imphal, where irom chanu sharmila is under arrest in a hospital ward. she is charged with attempt to commit suicide.

it is now the 8th year continuing of irom sharmila's fast! her demand is very simple - 'repeal armed forces special powers act'. but the government has now even stopped talking to her. recently in protest she even gave up nasal feed, which has kept her alive, but later the doctors and jail staff convinced her to resume nasal feed. one can only imagine how she can go on being fed through nose every day for 8 years.

i met her in the hospital today along with some journalists. to meet her one has to get permission from the offices of CM, prinipal secy., joint secy., DGP and jail authorities. sharmila's brother singhjit arranged the permission for me.

since the last time i met her in sept. 2007, she has become paler - because of lack of nutrition and sunlight. but inspite of being disappointed that sonia gandhi has not responded to her letter that she gave us last time and which NAPM activist faisal khan had handed over to ahmed patel, she is determined to continue her struggle. she has tremendous faith in god and is certain that she will succeed one day.

i've extended NAPM's total support to the struggle of women of manipur. earlier bela bhatia had also come here to express solidarity with the women's movement in the early days of the ongoing fast. i think more activists from other states of india must come out to imphal to support this extraordinary struggle.

contact's in imphal: irom singhjit singh (brother of irom sharmila): 9862696184, shanti devi (one of the women coordinators of meira paibee): 9856192286

Posted by collective at December 30, 2008 01:30 PM

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