Irom Sharmila Chanu – The Iron Lady of Manipur

We’ve all heard about Anna Hazare and his great drive against corruption in India. Indeed, this great man has done something that will change the face of Indian Politics, and hopefully a better future for India.

However, the mass has failed to notice the plight of a 39 year old woman from Manipur, who has been on a fast for almost 11 years. 11 years….!without a single morsel of food or a sip of water….Irom Sharmila Chanu has to be force-fed through her nose to keep her alive.

The reason behind the craziness of this act, you ask..? On 2nd November, 2000, in Malom, a small town in the Imphal Valley of Manipur, ten innocent civillians were allegedly shot and killed at a bus stop by the Assam Rifles, the Indian Paramilitary Force operating in the region. She began her fast from then onwards, seeking justice from the Indian Government and demanding the removal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act, the draconian  law that empowers the armed forces to arrest without a warrant and shoot anyone at sight.

98% of Indian citizens can never relate to the lifestyle of the people living in Manipur and most of the North-East states of India. As these states offer very little in terms of GDP, the government does very little to lift the state of apathy from these regions, and more often than not..turn a blind-eye to their pleadings. Being bullied by the government officials is nothing new to the people living in these regions. Indeed, they have been suffering this way for decades.

It is a shame…where the 12-day fast of Anna Hazare has been given full media coverage and earned a support base of millions of Indians…this self-less woman’s act of Bravery and Courage…a fast of almost 11 years for the freedom of her state…is mostly unknown to people outside her home state, and hardly given any media coverage. 

We all should salute this woman for her fearless stand. Irom Sharmila Chanu is truly…the Iron Lady of Manipur.