Manipur Freedom

On 2 November 2010, Ms. Irom Sharmila Chanu, a Manipuri poet, will complete ten years of hunger strike demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 (AFSPA). An extraordinary struggle of an extraordinary woman! Withstanding the test of time, the struggle exemplifies the triumph of human spirit over the unbridled power of the mighty.....

Imphal,

7th November, ‘09

PRESS RELEASE

Two weeks after the release of her sixth book Burning Bright: Irom Sharmila and the Struggle for Peace in Manipur, Dr. Deepti Priya Mehrotra a political scientist, journalist and activist passionately recounted her days with the living legend.

Dr. Merhotra spoke about the private and public struggle of Irom Sharmila at the School of Social Sciences – 1, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on the 26th of September, 2009. The special lecture was organised by Manipur Research Forum.

Irom Sharmila is a "sister and daughter of the world", a peace loving activist and a friend who is now close to her heart. Dr. Mehrotra was one of the many who became a friend of Irom Sharmila while she brought her struggle to Delhi.

She met Sharmila at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi during the winter of 2006-07. Dr. Mehrotra recalls there were a dozen policemen and intelligence personnel guarding the hospital room.

The Imphal Free Press

IMPHAL, Nov 2: A statewide capaign on festival of Hope, Justice and Peace organised by the Justice Foundation Manipur in support of the agitation by Irom Chanu Sharmila was inaugurated by Mahosweta Devi, Magsaysay Award winner and Doyen of Indian literature this afternoon at JN Dance Academy, in commemoration of completing nine years fast unto death agitation of Irom Chanu Sharmila demanding the repeal of the AFSPA from the state.

Mahosweta Devi, said the campaign will continue till November 6 in various parts of the state adding it is quite appropriate to call the 21st Century as the Century of Irom Sharmila for her endless courageous stands for the welfare of humanity.

Appreciating the spirits of honest sacrifice made by Sharmila for the welfare and safeguard of the people of the state demanding total repeal of AFSPA, she said Sharmila`s courageous spirits should not be forgotten by the people of the state as well by the country.

STAFF Reporter
GUWAHATI, Nov 3 – A few days after Meghalaya Governor and Intelligence Bureau deputy director advocated repeal of the Armed Forces Special Power Act from the North East, Maj Gen (retd) Gaganjit Singh today lent his support to the repeal of the ‘controversial’ Act. “The AFSPA should be repealed from the region as it has not given security forces any sweeping power, as perceived by many,” Maj Gen (retd) Singh told reporters here, on the sidelines of a day-long seminar on counter-terrorist operation organised by the Red Horns Division.

“Any person picked by the Army has to be handed over to the police within 24 hours and a medical examination done. A picked person is in a state of shock during the initial hours and we can hardly ever extract any information from him and, moreover, it also makes them psychologically tough knowing that they cannot be kept with the Army for more than a day.