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Irom Sharmila decries insensitive remark over `short vacation`

IMPHAL, March 12: Irom Chanu Sharmila has been released from judicial custody after being produced before the First Class Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East today. But as on earlier occasions every year, the anti AFSPA campaigner was brought again to the Security Ward of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) where she had been lodged and kept on nose-feeding on the ground that the police was yet to prepare the proper documents for her release.

She was finally `released` from the security ward of JNIMS  around 3:30 pm and hundreds of supporters including members of the Sharmila Kanba Lup (SAKAL) and numerous representatives from 12 different organizations from both hill and valley districts who were waiting for her release led her on foot to the site of the  Shamila Kanba Lup shanglen at Porompat near JNIMS.

Speaking to the media, Sharmila expressed disappointment over the recent charge against her for the `attempt to commit suicide` at a recent hearing at New Delhi’s Patiala Court.

“I am only protesting to repeal AFSPA and following Gandhi’s principle. My fight is against the atrocities committed by the Army personnel acting under the power of AFSPA,” she said.

She said that AFSPA has been imposed in the state in the name of controlling militancy but instead of controlling it, the Army personnel are harassing the general public. The India government has imposed this act only to suppress the people of the state, she charged and added that she will further continue with her hunger strike protest with the call to repeal AFSPA from the state, even though she has been released today by the court.

Appealing for support from the people of the state in her “movement”, she said that  if she happens to die by  in the process, she would not want to be born in this place (Manipur) again.

She also expressed her unhappiness over the Judge who  mockingly said,  “let’s release her early as she is going on a short vacation.” She said that such an attitude shows that there are people who take her stand lightly.

When asked by reporters why according to her, the state CM is not urging the Centre to repeal AFSPA when his counterpart, the CM of Jammu & Kashmir urged the Centre to repeal the act from his respective state, she replied that the leaders of the state wins elections thought corrupt means. “They  lack the spirit of patriotism and  they only think of looting the public which is why they fail  to urge the centre regarding the matter,” she charged.

Sharmila’s brother Irom Shinghajit, who was also present at the Shanglen, said that she was detained under the Section 307 that charges her of  the attempt to commit suicide. “She will be arrested by the police again, like they always do for the last 12 years, “he said and appealed for support from the people.

Meanwhile, three members of Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign (SSSC) namely Faisal Khan, Arvind Murti and Deepak Joshi reached Imphal yesterday and were present to  Sharmila at JNIMS.The three activists have been on s hunger strike since 6 am of today and will continue till tomorrow 6 am as a mark of solidarity with Sharmila.

Speaking to IFP, Faisal Khan said that in support of Sharmila, SSSC members staged sit-ins at Kolkata and Srinagar today. Earlier, sit-in protests were also staged at Chennai, Pondicherry, Jaipur, Bikaner, Faridabad, Haryana etc, he said. The support from the other states shows that the people of the country want this black law to be completely abolished from the country, he added.

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