Question

Write Irom Sharmila's struggle in Manipur.

Answer 1

The “Iron Lady of Manipur”, Irom Sharmila, started opposing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) after the Malom Massacre on November 2, 2000, in which security personnel slaughtered defenceless villagers. She opted for a non-violent form of protest and began a hunger strike to demand the repeal of AFSPA.

She was force-fed through a nasal tube throughout her hunger strike and was arrested multiple times on charges of attempted suicide. For almost 16 years, she persisted in her protest, bringing Manipur’s human rights abuses to the notice of both domestic and foreign audiences. She opted to pursue her battle through political methods after calling off her hunger strike in 2016.