Irom Sharmila

The Time of the Heroine

The negligence of the Government, at the Centre and at the State, and the severest misuse of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act by the Army  is the reason why Irom Sharmila is ‘still’ confined in a prison, seeking ‘justice’ and basic constitutional rights since the last 12 years. On the other hand, the ‘extremity’ of the insurgent groups strengthens the dimension of why this Black Law will continue to harm the state. 

On 2^nd November 2012, Irom Chanu Sharmila, a civil rights and political activist has completed twelve years of hunger strike demanding the repeal of the so called ‘draconian and archaic black Law’ ,the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 from the region. Irom Sharmila began her protest, a day after the infamous Malom (a town in the Imphal Valley of Manipur) massacre on 2^nd November 2000. In this massacre, ten civilians including a 62-year old woman and a 1988 National Child Bravery Award winner were allegedly shot and killed by the Assam Rifles, one of the Indian Paramilitary forces operating in the state, while waiting at a bus stop. Sharmila had been arrested under section 309 of IPC which punishes attempted suicide by a one-year imprisonment. She is released every year to be arrested again. Sharmila turned down many requests to end her fast and expressed her firmness to continue her fast till the Act is repealed. Recently, she declared  that no awards will be accepted by her till her demands are met. She has been awarded with many laurels for her nonviolent contribution towards the human rights movement in Northeast region including the Gwangju Prize for Human Rights in2007, which is given to "an outstanding person or group, active in the promotion and advocacy of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights" by South-Korea based organization.

Manipur and AFSPA:

Manipur was declared a ‘disturbed area’ in 1980 and the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 was imposed. There are allegations of the special powers under the Act being misused by the members of the armed forces. Several civil society organizations have been demanding the repeal of the Act. This infamous Act provides special powers to arrest, detain and shoot-at-sight on ‘suspicion’. The power to search and destroy properties on mere suspicion has been granted to the Armed Forces of the Union in the 'disturbed areas' of the North East and later extended to Kashmir in 1990. Where ever AFSPA is in operation, enforced disappearances, extra-judicial killings, torture, rape and arbitrary detention have been routinely reported. In 1958 when the Union Home Minster introduced the law in the Parliament, he assured that the Act will be in operation for only 6 months. But it has dragged on for more than 52 years now!

Due to this conflict, more than 50,000 people have been killed since independence and a large number have also been displaced. The archaic draconian and black law, which was used by British to suppress the Indian freedom movement, Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) adds more woes to the people of this region. In the name of suppressing insurgents, army officials have often been observed misusing their powers and hence, targeted the civilians.

One of the most brutal incidents in Manipur was the alleged rape and murder of a lady, Thangjam Manorama Devi by the armed forces in 2004. It triggered widespread agitations, including a nude demonstration by a dozen women in the heart of Imphal city to register against this Act.

The Union Government set up a five-member committee in 2004 under the Chairmanship of Justice BP Jeevan Reddy, former Judge of the Supreme Court of India. The committee submitted its report in 2005, and it sought to balance the views of the armed forces and different sections of the people. The report recommended repeal of the Act, while strengthening the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act that applies to the rest of the country. But it’s still the same ‘old story’-of protest, hope and negligence.

Insurgents:

At the beginning, the ideology of different insurgent groups was to attain the ‘independent status’ of the state once again. For example, The United Nations Liberation Front (UNLF), one of the oldest separatist groups which came into existence around 1964 operates with the primary objective of the restoration of the pre-merger status of Manipur. In 1978, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF) was established and its founding principle was to organise a revolutionary front of the North-East region and the liberation of Manipur. Kanglei Yawol Kanba Lup (KYKL) was established around 1994. It focuses primarily on what it considers cleansing Manipuri society, and is known for its moral policing activities. And there were some other groups whose agenda is to restore the pre-merger status of the state.

But today, though the ‘ideology’ remains the same, there is a general feeling that their acts seem to betray their “original intentions”. Some are of the opinion that they run a ‘parallel government’, often issuing diktats to the public.  Each of the armed groups has its own state apparatus. They levy taxes, define rules and have the means to enforce them. There are allegations that August 2006 attack at ISKCON was the work of an insurgent organization.

If it is judged by the reports published in the newspapers, then the state Manipur can be termed as “anarchic”.

Though twelve years have lapsed since she started her hunger protest, nothing seems to have changed much. Irrespective of their locus of loyalty, the killers continue to kill and the killed continue to die with no end to the violence in sight. The State continues to be the theatre of show of power and authority which flows from the barrel of the gun with innocent lives caught in the crossfire. Justice and accountability is not seen, with no hope for redressal of grievances of those who have suffered. Innocent people continue to be hunted and it does not matter who is the hunter but they all have one thing in common: they all wield guns!