Irom Sharmila Chanu (born March 14, 1972), also known as the Iron Lady of Manipur, is a civil rights activist, political activist, journalist and poet from the Indian state of Manipur. Since November 4, 2000, she's been on a political fast demanding the Government of India to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, also otherwise known as AFSPA, from Manipur and other areas of India's north east.
100 Days countdown -toward completion of a Decade's Hunger Strike
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 Indian State.
Irom Sharmila awarded Tagore peace prize
Social activist Irom Sharmila, who has been on fast-unto-death for the past nine years demanding withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 from Manipur, has been awarded ‘Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize’.
The award carrying Rs 51 lakhs, a gold medal and a citation was given to Ms Sharmila by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM).IIPM founder director M K Choudhury presented the prize to Ms Sharmila at Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital here yesterday, where she is lodged and is being fed through the nose by police against her will, said sources close to Ms Sharmila.
Hailing the social activist as a rare human rights crusader, Mr Choudhury who was accompanied by IIPM registrar Ratna Choudhury said, “Sharmila’s struggle would succeed.”
Ms Sharmila, who began fast-unto-death after the Assam Rifles killed 10 people at Malom village in Imphal valley in a encounter, would complete ten years of her struggle on November 2 next, they said.
She has already been awarded many prizes by both national and international organisations in her struggle for restoration of human rights in the region, they added.
Dr. Deepti Priya Mehrotra's speech on Nov 1st 2009
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, 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.
According to Dr. Mehrotra, Sharmila is philosophically Gandhian for her struggle equates Mahatma Gandhi's "non-violence with love".
साथी,
इरोम शर्मिला एक युवा महिला हैं जो पिछले 10 वर्षों से आमरण अनशन पर हैं। उन्हें सरकार ने घर पर ही नजरबंद कर रखा है और जबरन नाक के रास्ते खाना खिलाया जा रहा है। वह सैन्य बल (विशेष अधिकार) अधिनियम 1958 की वापसी की मांग कर रही हैं।
गौरतलब है कि 2 नवम्बर को मणिपुर में सैन्यबल ( विशेष अधिकार) अधिनियम 1958 के विरू़द्ध इरोम शर्मिला अपने आमरण अनशन के दस वर्ष पूरे कर लेंगी। इसमें संदेह नहीं ये वर्ष भारतीय लोकतन्त्र के लिए शर्म में डूबे हुए वर्ष हैं।
अब भी भारतीय प्रजातन्त्र के अनुसार सम्मानजनक जीवन की मांग करना आत्महत्या है| (भारतीय सरकार का उनके अनशन के प्रति यही रूख़ रहा है) और सैन्यबल विशेषाधिकार सुरक्षा के लिए आवश्यक हक....वो हक जो पूर्वोत्तर के राज्यों में एन्काउण्टर, बलात्कार और हत्याओं को जायज ठहराता है।क्या मणिपुर में महिलाओं द्वारा सशस्त्र राज्य की ताकत के खिलाफ सैन्य मुख्यालय के समक्ष निःवस्त्र प्रदर्शन लोकतान्त्रिक राज्य के प्रचारित गौरव को शर्मसार नहीं करता ? शायद नहीं! क्योंकि दूसरे राज्यों में भी ऐसे दमनकारी कानून बनाए जाने की कोशिशें जारी हैं।हम सरकार की दमनकारी नीतियों के खि़लाफ इरोम शर्मिला व उनके साथियों के संघर्ष का समर्थन करते हैं। हम लोगों के लोकतांत्रिक अधिकारों का दमन करने वाले सैन्यबल ( विशेष अधिकार) अधिनियम 1958 जैसे तमाम कानूनों को वापस लिए जाने की मांग करते हैं।कार्यक्रम - कैंडल लाइट विजिल
दिनांक - 2 नवम्बर (सोमवार)
स्थान - ज्योति सिनेप्लेक्स के पास
ऍम. पी. नगर, भोपाल समय -सांय 5 बजे
युवासंवाद और मध्यप्रदेश महिला मंच द्वारा आयोजित।Irom Sharmila ChanuWill you get what you are fighting for?I realise my task is a tough one. But I must endure. I must be patient. That happy day will come some day. If I’m still alive. Until then, I must be patient. (My time was over, and my crew and I were preparing to leave, when Sharmila stopped us.) Will you help me? I would like to read about the life-history of Nelson Mandela. I have no idea about his life. Will you send me a book about him? It is full of restrictions here. Make sure you address it to the security ward. If not, I may not recieve it.'Although the State may think so, I am in no mood for suicide. In any case, if I were a suicide-monger, how could we talk like this? I have no other choice but fasting’.
इरोम शर्मिला एक युवा महिला हैं जो पिछले 10 वर्षों से आमरण अनशन पर हैं। उन्हें सरकार ने घर पर ही नजरबंद कर रखा है और जबरन नाक के रास्ते खाना खिलाया जा रहा है। वह सैन्य बल (विशेष अधिकार) अधिनियम 1958 की वापसी की मांग कर रही हैं।
गौरतलब है कि 2 नवम्बर को मणिपुर में सैन्यबल ( विशेष अधिकार) अधिनियम 1958 के विरू़द्ध इरोम शर्मिला अपने आमरण अनशन के दस वर्ष पूरे कर लेंगी। इसमें संदेह नहीं ये वर्ष भारतीय लोकतन्त्र के लिए शर्म में डूबे हुए वर्ष हैं।
अब भी भारतीय प्रजातन्त्र के अनुसार सम्मानजनक जीवन की मांग करना आत्महत्या है| (भारतीय सरकार का उनके अनशन के प्रति यही रूख़ रहा है) और सैन्यबल विशेषाधिकार सुरक्षा के लिए आवश्यक हक....वो हक जो पूर्वोत्तर के राज्यों में एन्काउण्टर, बलात्कार और हत्याओं को जायज ठहराता है।
दिनांक - 2 नवम्बर (सोमवार)
स्थान - ज्योति सिनेप्लेक्स के पास
ऍम. पी. नगर, भोपाल समय -सांय 5 बजे
युवासंवाद और मध्यप्रदेश महिला मंच द्वारा आयोजित।
Irom Sharmila Chanu
Will you get what you are fighting for?
I realise my task is a tough one. But I must endure. I must be patient. That happy day will come some day. If I’m still alive. Until then, I must be patient. (My time was over, and my crew and I were preparing to leave, when Sharmila stopped us.) Will you help me? I would like to read about the life-history of Nelson Mandela. I have no idea about his life. Will you send me a book about him? It is full of restrictions here. Make sure you address it to the security ward. If not, I may not recieve it.
'Although the State may think so, I am in no mood for suicide. In any case, if I were a suicide-monger, how could we talk like this? I have no other choice but fasting’.
