The fair one : story of a decade long fast..

For the last three weeks or more, we Indians have been confined to the invisible walls erected by the media and a number of NGOs. Everyone have been watching, hearing and talking about the same issue. All other news scattered on this wall. All other voices were immersed in the noise emerged from Ramleela Maidan. The country has been seemingly steered by a group of unpolitcal people.
Now a short break has been taken, the noise has reduced. May not be the right time, but let me take some of your valuable time. Lets listen to another story. This is not a drama, but a story of struggle, a story of agony, a story of plight of a society. In fact, this is life. A life which none likes to have.
In Manipur, a north east state of India, there is a village called Khojpal. On 14 March 1972 a girl was born there. From her childhood, she used to fast on every thursdays for the sake of her family. She carried on this tradition as she grew up. As usual, a thursday she fasted, but this was not going to end the same day. It continued next day, and the next day and so on. Days gave way to months. Seasons changed, but not this fast. And now, it's been a decade.
Her name is Irom Chanu Sharmila, the Iron lady from Manipur. The people call her 'Menghaobi' (' the fair one ' ). She is not a familiar name for the housholds. Her name or photo dont appear on newspapers regularly, nor she gets screened on TV channels frequently. Silently, she has been on indefinite fast for the last 10 years, making her the longest hunger striker. The extreme courage and will power she is showing is somewhat unimaginable. It is a struggle for freedom, for rights, for a peaceful life.
Let me unfold the thing what led to this adventourous act. It was in 1958, the Armed Forces Special Powers Act was enacted by the Indian Parliament. It conferred special powers upon the armed forces in what the act calls ' disturbed areas ' in North East states of India. Later in 1990, it was extended to Jammu and Kashmir. It was only later revealed to be a sleeping volcano.
According to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is proclaimed as "disturbed", an officer of the armed forces has powers to: 1) "Fire upon or otherwise use force, even to the causing of death, against any person who is acting in contravention of any law" against "assembly of five or more persons" or possession of deadly weapons. 2) To arrest without a warrant and with the use of "necessary" force anyone who has committed certain offenses or is suspected of having done so. 3) To enter and search any premise in order to make such arrests. It gives Army officers legal immunity for their actions. There can be no prosecution, suit or any other legal proceeding against anyone acting under that law. For declaring an area as a 'disturbed area' there must be a grave situation of law and order on the basis of which Governor/ Administrator can form opinion that an area is in such a disturbed or dangerous condition that use of Armed Forces in aid of civil power is necessary.
As a result of this, on 2 November 2000, in Malom, a town in Manipur, 10 civilians were shot killed when waiting for bus. It included a national child bravery award winner, 18 year old Sinam Chandramani.
In protest of this, Sharmila began her hunger strike recieving her mother's blessings, asking the govt to repeal AFSPA.
Three days after her fast began, she was arrested in the charge of 'suicide attempt' and transferred to judicial custody. Her health deteriorated and was forcibly made use intubation. Since then, she has been released and rearrested every year. By this long period, several activists, includind Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi, have declared their support for her. But the eyes of the successive governments stayed shut, and politicians never liked to burn their hands taking this issue.
To be very frank, this words are triggered by the dramatical incidents that have been showcased in the last few weeks or so. The saga of a fast against corruption and its subtales.
Yes, the media have played a vital part in this. All except a few have been dogging a man named Anna Hazare and his team, and repeatedly broadcasting this so called 'battle'. But why didnt their vision extend towards north east ? Didnt Sharmila strike have the frequency to meet the media radar ? No, because it wasnt enough to rise the TRP ratings of channels. Nor the people gave an eye to it for there was no drama in it and they were unable to measure or imagine the magnitude of the plight of the people in north east.
Corruption is omnipresent in the country, but it doesnt alone constitute the entire spectrum of the problems faced by India.
This is being written at a house miles away from Irom Sharmila's home, but by a heart touched by her act. Nothing has apparently changed in this 10 years, and in this few minutes. Better it come soon.. Hope drives all..