Irom Sharmila To End Her Fast; Decides To Contest Election - Eastern Mirror
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Irom Sharmila to end her fast; decides to contest election

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By Our Correspondent Updated: Jul 26, 2016 10:51 pm

IMPHAL, July 26: Human rights defender of Manipur Irom Chanu Sharmila on Tuesday said she will break her fast unto agitation against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), to contest in the upcoming elections. Manipur will go to polls in early part of next year.

Sharmila(43) who has been on a fast-unto-death for the past 15 years, demanding the repealing of AFSPA spoke with the media after her appearance before the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal West.

“I decided to change my approach as I wanted to see the success,” says Sharmila admitting that she hardly sees  no visible change except the routine detention during her 16 year of struggle.  She said that she don’t think there will be success in the society unless there is a real representative of the people as the present day rulers are not listening to people’s voice.

Sharmila was arrested under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code on charges of attempt to commit suicide. Held at at the security ward of state run hospital-JNIMS here, she was force-fed through the nose several times a day.Referred to as the Iron Lady of Manipur, Sharmila continued her fast unto death agitation in November 2000 after 10 people were killed by troops of the Assam Rifles near a bus stop at Malom, in the outskirt of Imphal.

Sharmila also known as Iron Lady of Manipur, also told the reporters that she decided to contest in the election as an Independent candidate for the anti-ASFPA campaign. She lamented that the laws framed to serve the people turns against the people.

Sharmila is a resident of Kongpal under Khurai assembly constituency.

On February 29 this year, a district court in Imphal released Sharmila from custody, saying the prosecution had failed to establish the charge of attempting to commit suicide they had brought against her. Since she launched her agitation nearly 16 years ago, she arrested on the charges of attempting to commit suicide under IPC 309.

According to Sharmila’s counsel Laishram Rebeda, the next hearing has been scheduled on August 9.

However it is not known whether the court will release her during her next Court appearance or not .

Reacting to Sharmila’s decision, human rights activist Babloo Loitongbam who is the Executive Director of Human Rights Alert,a rights body opined that she launch her agitation as per her decision so it’s  her decision to break the fast as well. However her elder brother Irom Singhajit was not ready to comment when contacted.

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By Our Correspondent Updated: Jul 26, 2016 10:51:29 pm
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