“This is the first step. I feel happy and hopeful.” This is how Manipur activist and Iron Lady Irom Chanu Sharmila, 49, who fasted for 16 years against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), described her feelings after hearing of the Union government’s decision to remove the law in several parts of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland .
In an exclusive interview to News18, Sharmila said she was putting her twin babies to sleep in her Bengaluru home when she saw the news flash. Unable to contain her tears, she kept checking the news throughout.
Sharmila, who ended her fast in 2017 to make her political debut, said this was a positive step. “I will go to Manipur if the CM calls. I will place the demand to repeal AFSPA from the state. I will feel honoured only after it is achieved,” she said.
Edited excerpts:
What do you think about the government’s move to reduce the jurisdiction of AFSPA in Nagaland, Assam and Manipur?
This is the first step. It is a positive one. I feel hopeful, I feel happy. It is good that the government has taken this step. Democracy will be fully restored, once the Act is repealed.
What were your feelings when you first heard about it?
All those scenes of massacre, especially in remote hilly areas, came in front of me. The images of my Ukhrul visit haunted me. This is was when I was released from jail. I had no place to stay and a women’s organisation had helped me. They took me to the grave of 15-year-girl who was brutally raped. Her mother was crying [Sharmila breaks down]. She told me those people raped a girl every day. If they refused to send girls, the security forces raided their houses and put people in jail. It was not just my my movement, it was the movement of people, women.
The CM of Manipur, Biren Singh, has said the government will honour you…
The repeal of this colonial law will be a real honour for me. This is a chance to fulfil that dream. I will meet the CM and present the demand. I want to see real democracy in our country. So many people have fought, many have even lost their lives. This needs to end now. I will raise my voice.
Will you resettle in Manipur? Do you still remember how nobody allowed you to sleep in their home for one night after you broke your fast?
I will visit my father’s house, but will not settle there. I don’t remember the past, I move forward. Once this law is repealed, I will only concentrate on my children.
Do you think the Congress failed in taking action?
For me, all political parties are the same. They don’t connect with people. It took 60 years to take this decision. We went to Kashmir thrice, it should be repealed from there too.
What will you say to the people of North-East?
You should focus on the right to equality and raise your voice. Keep fighting till the end. Look at the condition of women, they are not treated as equals [Sharmila breaks down].
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