Irom Chanu Sharmila
Encyclopedia
Irom Sharmila Chanu also known as the "Iron Lady of Manipur" or "Menghoubi" ("the fair one") is a civil rights activist, political activist, and poet from the Indian state of Manipur
. Since 2 November 2000, she has been on hunger strike
to demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
(AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of India's northeast. Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, she has been called "the world's longest hunger striker".
of Manipur
, ten civilians 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. The incident later came to be known to activists as the "Malom Massacre". The next day's local newspapers published graphic pictures of the dead bodies, including one of a 62-year old woman, Leisangbam Ibetomi, and 18-year old Sinam Chandramani, a 1988 National Child Bravery Award winner.
Sharmila, the 28-year-old daughter of a Grade IV veterinary worker, began to fast in protest of the killings, taking neither food nor water. As her brother Irom Singhajit Singh recalled, "The killings took place on 2 November 2000. It was a Thursday. Sharmila used to fast on Thursdays since she was a child. That day she was fasting too. She has just continued with her fast". 4 November is also given as the start day of her fast. On the Friday third of November she had her last supper of pastries and sweets then touched her mother's feet and asked permission to fulfill her bounden duty. Her primary demand to the Indian government was the repeal of the AFSPA
, which allowed soldiers to indefinitely detain any citizen on suspicion of being a rebel. The act has been blamed by opposition and human rights groups for permitting torture, forced disappearance
s, and extrajudicial executions.
Three days after she began her strike, she was arrested by the police and charged with an "attempt to commit suicide", which is unlawful under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code
, and was later transferred to judicial custody. Her health deteriorated rapidly, and the police then forcibly had to use nasogastric intubation
in order to keep her alive while under arrest. Since then, Irom Sharmila has been regularly released and re-arrested every year since under IPC section 309, a person who "attempts to commit suicide" is punishable "with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year [or with fine, or with both]".
." Later that evening, Sharmila headed for Jantar Mantar for a protest demonstration where she was joined by students, human rights activists and other concerned citizens. On 6 October, she was re-arrested by the Delhi police for attempting suicide and was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
, where she wrote letters to the Prime Minister, President, and Home Minister. At this time, she met and won the support of Nobel-laureate Shirin Ebadi
, the Nobel Laureate and human rights activist, who promised to take up Sharmila's cause at the United Nations Human Rights Council
.
On 23 August 2011, Sharmila was involved in the wave of Anti-corruption movement
on invitation by Anna Hazare
via letter. Following Mr Hazare's promise to visit Imphal and support Sharmila there he announced in an interview with NDTV on September 13 that he would be sending two representatives to meet with Sharmila soon to prepare for the meeting
Trinamool Congress have reiterated their support for her . The Communist Party of India (CPI ML) has also reiterated their support for her and for repeal of AF(SP)A . Neither group has responded to a request to make the moral support effective by pledging to denotify Disturbed Area Status from all of Manipur.
Sharmila has been allowed to have her own words reported first urging Dr Singh to reaffirm his pledge to do something about the inhumanity of the AF(SP)A Also in that report conveyed via a University Chancellor and former IAS officer she urges the CM to allow visitors especially when they come from distant lands. In Assam many NGOs have come out supporting her and urging for repeal of AF(SP)A The ToI appears to have replaced the Calcutta Telegraph as the mainland paper to break Manipuri news to the world. This year 2011 the Christian Church has also become active in supporting Sharmila and agitating against AF(SP)A. The NCCI which represents Protestant and Orthodox Christians (30 million of the 1.3 billion Indians but also the hill tribals of Manipur Nagas and Kuki Chin Federation about 40% of the population of Manipur) made their first unequivocal statement on this issue in November The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Guwahati HG Thomas Menamparampil also spoke out in defence of Sharmila . Although he has few in his flock he has for some time been active in political agitation for peace in the area. Sharmila's spokesman has appealed to both sources directly for more effective support. Student Christians less effectively also offer moral support and prayer
by a Guwahati
-based woman's organization, the North East Network.
She was awarded the 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
, which is given for "an outstanding person or group, active in the promotion and advocacy of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights". She shared the award with Lenin Raghuvanshi
of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights, a northeastern Indian human rights organization. In Addition the largest monetary prize the first Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize was given to her in 2010 by the New Delhi IIPM. She was awarded the Sarva Gunah Sampannah ‘“ Award for Peace and Harmony" aka the 12th Signature Women of Substance award (Assam) also in 2010. 2009 she was awarded the first Mayillama Award (Kerala). And in 2010 in the presence of the Law Minister Sri V Moilly in Bangalore she was awarded in absentia a lifetime achievement award. She was most recently awarded an Adivasi Ratna award accepted by her brother.
She has some support in Europe and a request for letters to be sent to her within Manipur. The letters were presented to her in the form of a printed personalized slam book titled "Echel for Eche" a Pan Manipur initiative on 11 October 2011. An effective end to the satyagraha can come next year if Manipuris convert their symbolic and moral support to votes for MLAs who pledge to lift the disturbed area status from the whole of Manipur.
In Turkey 8–11 December 2010 The Which Human Rights Festival organized by the Turkish Human Rights Group the Documentarist was dedicated to Irom Sharmila
The controversial BJP politician Varun Gandhi also a descendant of the Pandit-Nehru lineage recently used an internet tweet to announce his support of her
She has written a lot of poetry most recently a 12 poem bilingual anthology (Meiteilol and English), "Fragrance of Peace" (Nungsigi Leinam), was released by Zubaan books to coincide with the tenth year of her detention, with profits used to support her cause. This appears to have been a project first suggested by Norwegian designer Mr Lars Muller, who was appointed in December 2007 by the World Organization against Torture OMCT as her 'Defending the Defenders' sponsor. The JPF have appealed to the current SAARC conference in the Maldives on behalf of Sharmila while its founder presented at the People's SAARC in Kerala
Kavita Joshi's short documentary My Body My Weapon (released by Why Democracy?
in 2007) alleges violations by security forces that fuel Sharmila's resolve to keep fasting until AFSPA is repealed. Tales from the Margins, a twin project of the above film, also focuses on Sharmila, locating her resistance in the larger context of women's protests against the AFSPA in Manipur.
Ojas S V, a theatre artist from Pune has been performing a mono-play titled Le Mashale (Take the torch), based on Irom Sharmila's life and struggle at several places in India. It is an adaptation of Meira Paibi (Women bearing torches), a drama written by Malayalam playwright Civic Chandran.
Recently Save Sharmila Campaign has been launched by a joint network of civil societies (NAPM, Gandhi Global Family, Asha Parivar, Jagriti Mahila Samiti, Yuva Koshish, Asian Centre of Social Studies and Mission Bhartiyam. They all are raising voice for Irom Sharmila. Save Sharmila Campaign has organised a candle light solidarity prayer on 25th JUNE 2011 at Rajghat New Delhi. Approximately 200 people participated in it from all walks of life. Later on Volunteer of Save Sharmila Campaign met with Irom Sharmila on 5th JULY 2011. Volunteer Md Tanveer Iqbal Editor Situationsasia fortnightly e-mag shared the campaign strategy with Irom and received her message for the campaign. Well he met her briefly during one of her habeas corpus hearings at Lamphel. A Srinagar to Imphal jouney and National Signature Campaign also planned by Save Sharmila Campaign volunteers in the month of October.
Save Sharmila Campaign Volunteers demand with government
To take positive steps of talks
To send all party delegation to meet Irom
To send special team of doctors for health check up of Irom. This last is a demand made contrary to the direct wishes of both Sharmila and her fiance. There is nothing wrong with her health there have been four reports now all false stating that her health has deteriorated often due to the removal of her feeding tube ranging from September 2010 to September 2011. Both Sharmila and I again request that Save Sharmila and other NGOs refrain from interfering with her body. If any group is prepared to take up the call for MLAs to remove the disturbed area status from the whole of Manipur and for voters to be given that option in election 2012 otherwise these persistent attacks on Sharmila are something I guess we will both have to live with given their source.
Other activites also planned and campaign is still running.
Politically the Janata Dal minority opposition party has publicly agreed to campaign for AF(SP)A repeal during the monsoon session of the Indian Parliament. Within Cabinet Dr Singh the PM has publicly asked for a reform of AF(SP)A to make it more humane. Sr V Moilly who also chaired the second adminstrative reforms committee one of whose recommendations was the repeal of AF(SP)A also supports change. As do the Home Secretary Sri Pillai and the Home Union Minister Sri Chidambaram. Though Sri Pillai has asked for local CMs not to apply for disturbed area status and therefore AF(SP)A whether on the books or not would cease to apply. To this end Sharmila's spokesman has requested Manipuris to vote for MLAs who pledge to lift disturbed area status from Manipur and not to seek it again until or unless AF(SP)A is repealed. The Manipur State Assembly elections will be announced sometime in 2012. If MLAs adopt this resolution Sharmila's satyagraha ends with victory and she may return to normal life. Mr A K Antony the defence minister and General Singh commander in chief of the Indian Armed Forces lead the opposition to change or repeal of AF(SP)A
On August 21, 2011, Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy
, in her The Hindu
editorial on Anna Hazare
, contrasted Anna's media-publicized fast with the decade-long fast of Irom, including the motivations for both.
Save Sharmila Campaign organised documentary screening and panel discussion in various colleges of Delhi with support of its student coordinators and volunteers. Screening and discussion already organised in September month in South Asian University, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce. Core Committee of Save Sharmila Campaign have already get support from various eminent social activists. Main members of Save Sharmila Campaign are Faisal Khan, Ravi Nitesh, Md Tanveer, Qamar Intekhab, Veena Behan, Gufran Khan, Devika Mittal, Manisha Kaushik, Aditya Diwedi & Sandeep Mishra. This campaign has already received message of Irom Sharmila. Singhjit (Irom's brother) is coordinating the campaign in Imphal. Campaign already announced Natiowide Signature Program from 02nd October 03 PM.
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
. Since 2 November 2000, she has been on hunger strike
Hunger strike
A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance or pressure in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt in others, usually with the objective to achieve a specific goal, such as a policy change. Most hunger strikers will take liquids but not...
to demand that the Indian government repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
The Armed Forces Act , was passed on September 11, 1958, by the Parliament of India. It conferred special powers upon armed forces in what the act calls "disturbed areas" in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura...
(AFSPA), which she blames for violence in Manipur and other parts of India's northeast. Having refused food and water for more than 500 weeks, she has been called "the world's longest hunger striker".
Decision to fast
On November 2, 2000, in Malom, a town in the Imphal ValleyImphal
Imphal is the capital of the Indian state of Manipur.In the heart of the town and surrounded by a moat, are ruins of the old Palace of Kangla. Kangla Fort used to be the home of the Assam Rifles, a paramilitary force and on November 2004 it was handed over to state of Manipur by Prime minister Dr....
of Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
, ten civilians 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. The incident later came to be known to activists as the "Malom Massacre". The next day's local newspapers published graphic pictures of the dead bodies, including one of a 62-year old woman, Leisangbam Ibetomi, and 18-year old Sinam Chandramani, a 1988 National Child Bravery Award winner.
Sharmila, the 28-year-old daughter of a Grade IV veterinary worker, began to fast in protest of the killings, taking neither food nor water. As her brother Irom Singhajit Singh recalled, "The killings took place on 2 November 2000. It was a Thursday. Sharmila used to fast on Thursdays since she was a child. That day she was fasting too. She has just continued with her fast". 4 November is also given as the start day of her fast. On the Friday third of November she had her last supper of pastries and sweets then touched her mother's feet and asked permission to fulfill her bounden duty. Her primary demand to the Indian government was the repeal of the AFSPA
Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958
The Armed Forces Act , was passed on September 11, 1958, by the Parliament of India. It conferred special powers upon armed forces in what the act calls "disturbed areas" in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura...
, which allowed soldiers to indefinitely detain any citizen on suspicion of being a rebel. The act has been blamed by opposition and human rights groups for permitting torture, forced disappearance
Forced disappearance
In international human rights law, a forced disappearance occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization, followed by a refusal to acknowledge the...
s, and extrajudicial executions.
Three days after she began her strike, she was arrested by the police and charged with an "attempt to commit suicide", which is unlawful under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code
Indian Penal Code is the main criminal code of India. It is a comprehensive code, intended to cover all substantive aspects of criminal law. It was drafted in 1860 and came into force in colonial India during the British Raj in 1862...
, and was later transferred to judicial custody. Her health deteriorated rapidly, and the police then forcibly had to use nasogastric intubation
Nasogastric intubation
Nasogastric intubation is a medical process involving the insertion of a plastic tube through the nose, past the throat, and down into the stomach.-Uses:...
in order to keep her alive while under arrest. Since then, Irom Sharmila has been regularly released and re-arrested every year since under IPC section 309, a person who "attempts to commit suicide" is punishable "with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year [or with fine, or with both]".
Continued activism
By 2004, Sharmila had become an "icon of public resistance". Following her procedural release On 2 October 2006, for around four months, Irom Sharmila Chanu went to Raj Ghat, New Delhi, which she said was "to pay floral tribute to my idol, Mahatma GandhiMahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
." Later that evening, Sharmila headed for Jantar Mantar for a protest demonstration where she was joined by students, human rights activists and other concerned citizens. On 6 October, she was re-arrested by the Delhi police for attempting suicide and was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences
All India Institute of Medical Sciences is a premier medical college and teaching hospital based in New Delhi, India. The Institute operates autonomously under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare ....
, where she wrote letters to the Prime Minister, President, and Home Minister. At this time, she met and won the support of Nobel-laureate Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi
Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer, a former judge and human rights activist and founder of Defenders of Human Rights Center in Iran. On 10 October 2003, Ebadi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her significant and pioneering efforts for democracy and human rights, especially women's,...
, the Nobel Laureate and human rights activist, who promised to take up Sharmila's cause at the United Nations Human Rights Council
United Nations Human Rights Council
The United Nations Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations System. The UNHRC is the successor to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights , and is a subsidiary body of the United Nations General Assembly...
.
On 23 August 2011, Sharmila was involved in the wave of Anti-corruption movement
2011 Indian anti-corruption movement
The 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement is a series of ongoing demonstrations and protests across India intended to establish strong legislation and enforcement against endemic political corruption...
on invitation by Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare
Kisan Baburao Hazare , popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist and a prominent leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi...
via letter. Following Mr Hazare's promise to visit Imphal and support Sharmila there he announced in an interview with NDTV on September 13 that he would be sending two representatives to meet with Sharmila soon to prepare for the meeting
Trinamool Congress have reiterated their support for her . The Communist Party of India (CPI ML) has also reiterated their support for her and for repeal of AF(SP)A . Neither group has responded to a request to make the moral support effective by pledging to denotify Disturbed Area Status from all of Manipur.
Sharmila has been allowed to have her own words reported first urging Dr Singh to reaffirm his pledge to do something about the inhumanity of the AF(SP)A Also in that report conveyed via a University Chancellor and former IAS officer she urges the CM to allow visitors especially when they come from distant lands. In Assam many NGOs have come out supporting her and urging for repeal of AF(SP)A The ToI appears to have replaced the Calcutta Telegraph as the mainland paper to break Manipuri news to the world. This year 2011 the Christian Church has also become active in supporting Sharmila and agitating against AF(SP)A. The NCCI which represents Protestant and Orthodox Christians (30 million of the 1.3 billion Indians but also the hill tribals of Manipur Nagas and Kuki Chin Federation about 40% of the population of Manipur) made their first unequivocal statement on this issue in November The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Guwahati HG Thomas Menamparampil also spoke out in defence of Sharmila . Although he has few in his flock he has for some time been active in political agitation for peace in the area. Sharmila's spokesman has appealed to both sources directly for more effective support. Student Christians less effectively also offer moral support and prayer
International attention
Sharmila was nominated to the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize2005 Nobel Peace Prize
The 2005 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to International Atomic Energy Agency and Mohamed ElBaradei "for their efforts to prevent nuclear energy from being used for military purposes and to ensure that nuclear energy for peaceful purposes is used in the safest possible way".United Nations...
by a Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati, Pragjyotishpura in ancient Assam formerly known as Gauhati is a metropolis,the largest city of Assam in India and ancient urban area in North East India, with a population of 963,429. It is also the largest metropolitan area in north-eastern India...
-based woman's organization, the North East Network.
She was awarded the 2007 Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
Gwangju Prize for Human Rights
The Gwangju Prize for Human Rights is an award given by the South Korean May 18 Memorial Foundation to recognize "individuals, groups or institutions in Korea and abroad that have contributed in promoting and advancing human rights, democracy and peace through their work." The award is intended to...
, which is given for "an outstanding person or group, active in the promotion and advocacy of Peace, Democracy and Human Rights". She shared the award with Lenin Raghuvanshi
Lenin Raghuvanshi
Lenin Raghuvanshi is a Dalit rights activist and an Ashoka Fellow from India. He is one of the founding members of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights , which works for the upliftment of the marginalised sections of the society...
of People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights, a northeastern Indian human rights organization. In Addition the largest monetary prize the first Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize was given to her in 2010 by the New Delhi IIPM. She was awarded the Sarva Gunah Sampannah ‘“ Award for Peace and Harmony" aka the 12th Signature Women of Substance award (Assam) also in 2010. 2009 she was awarded the first Mayillama Award (Kerala). And in 2010 in the presence of the Law Minister Sri V Moilly in Bangalore she was awarded in absentia a lifetime achievement award. She was most recently awarded an Adivasi Ratna award accepted by her brother.
She has some support in Europe and a request for letters to be sent to her within Manipur. The letters were presented to her in the form of a printed personalized slam book titled "Echel for Eche" a Pan Manipur initiative on 11 October 2011. An effective end to the satyagraha can come next year if Manipuris convert their symbolic and moral support to votes for MLAs who pledge to lift the disturbed area status from the whole of Manipur.
In Turkey 8–11 December 2010 The Which Human Rights Festival organized by the Turkish Human Rights Group the Documentarist was dedicated to Irom Sharmila
The controversial BJP politician Varun Gandhi also a descendant of the Pandit-Nehru lineage recently used an internet tweet to announce his support of her
She has written a lot of poetry most recently a 12 poem bilingual anthology (Meiteilol and English), "Fragrance of Peace" (Nungsigi Leinam), was released by Zubaan books to coincide with the tenth year of her detention, with profits used to support her cause. This appears to have been a project first suggested by Norwegian designer Mr Lars Muller, who was appointed in December 2007 by the World Organization against Torture OMCT as her 'Defending the Defenders' sponsor. The JPF have appealed to the current SAARC conference in the Maldives on behalf of Sharmila while its founder presented at the People's SAARC in Kerala
Works on her life
Deepti Priya Mehrotra's Burning Bright: Irom Sharmila and the Struggle for Peace in Manipur details Sharmila's life and the political background of her fast.Kavita Joshi's short documentary My Body My Weapon (released by Why Democracy?
Why Democracy?
Why Democracy? is a documentary film series produced by Steps International. The series consists of 10 films depicting independent documentary filmmakers personal perception of and experience with democracy, and was broadcast by 42 different broadcasters worldwide between the 8th and the 18th of...
in 2007) alleges violations by security forces that fuel Sharmila's resolve to keep fasting until AFSPA is repealed. Tales from the Margins, a twin project of the above film, also focuses on Sharmila, locating her resistance in the larger context of women's protests against the AFSPA in Manipur.
Ojas S V, a theatre artist from Pune has been performing a mono-play titled Le Mashale (Take the torch), based on Irom Sharmila's life and struggle at several places in India. It is an adaptation of Meira Paibi (Women bearing torches), a drama written by Malayalam playwright Civic Chandran.
Recently Save Sharmila Campaign has been launched by a joint network of civil societies (NAPM, Gandhi Global Family, Asha Parivar, Jagriti Mahila Samiti, Yuva Koshish, Asian Centre of Social Studies and Mission Bhartiyam. They all are raising voice for Irom Sharmila. Save Sharmila Campaign has organised a candle light solidarity prayer on 25th JUNE 2011 at Rajghat New Delhi. Approximately 200 people participated in it from all walks of life. Later on Volunteer of Save Sharmila Campaign met with Irom Sharmila on 5th JULY 2011. Volunteer Md Tanveer Iqbal Editor Situationsasia fortnightly e-mag shared the campaign strategy with Irom and received her message for the campaign. Well he met her briefly during one of her habeas corpus hearings at Lamphel. A Srinagar to Imphal jouney and National Signature Campaign also planned by Save Sharmila Campaign volunteers in the month of October.
Save Sharmila Campaign Volunteers demand with government
To take positive steps of talks
To send all party delegation to meet Irom
To send special team of doctors for health check up of Irom. This last is a demand made contrary to the direct wishes of both Sharmila and her fiance. There is nothing wrong with her health there have been four reports now all false stating that her health has deteriorated often due to the removal of her feeding tube ranging from September 2010 to September 2011. Both Sharmila and I again request that Save Sharmila and other NGOs refrain from interfering with her body. If any group is prepared to take up the call for MLAs to remove the disturbed area status from the whole of Manipur and for voters to be given that option in election 2012 otherwise these persistent attacks on Sharmila are something I guess we will both have to live with given their source.
Other activites also planned and campaign is still running.
Politically the Janata Dal minority opposition party has publicly agreed to campaign for AF(SP)A repeal during the monsoon session of the Indian Parliament. Within Cabinet Dr Singh the PM has publicly asked for a reform of AF(SP)A to make it more humane. Sr V Moilly who also chaired the second adminstrative reforms committee one of whose recommendations was the repeal of AF(SP)A also supports change. As do the Home Secretary Sri Pillai and the Home Union Minister Sri Chidambaram. Though Sri Pillai has asked for local CMs not to apply for disturbed area status and therefore AF(SP)A whether on the books or not would cease to apply. To this end Sharmila's spokesman has requested Manipuris to vote for MLAs who pledge to lift disturbed area status from Manipur and not to seek it again until or unless AF(SP)A is repealed. The Manipur State Assembly elections will be announced sometime in 2012. If MLAs adopt this resolution Sharmila's satyagraha ends with victory and she may return to normal life. Mr A K Antony the defence minister and General Singh commander in chief of the Indian Armed Forces lead the opposition to change or repeal of AF(SP)A
On August 21, 2011, Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is an Indian novelist. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things, and has also written two screenplays and several collections of essays...
, in her The Hindu
The Hindu
The Hindu is an Indian English-language daily newspaper founded and continuously published in Chennai since 1878. According to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, it has a circulation of 1.46 million copies as of December 2009. The enterprise employed over 1,600 workers and gross income reached $40...
editorial on Anna Hazare
Anna Hazare
Kisan Baburao Hazare , popularly known as Anna Hazare is an Indian social activist and a prominent leader in the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement, using nonviolent methods following the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi...
, contrasted Anna's media-publicized fast with the decade-long fast of Irom, including the motivations for both.
Save Sharmila Campaign organised documentary screening and panel discussion in various colleges of Delhi with support of its student coordinators and volunteers. Screening and discussion already organised in September month in South Asian University, Delhi College of Arts & Commerce. Core Committee of Save Sharmila Campaign have already get support from various eminent social activists. Main members of Save Sharmila Campaign are Faisal Khan, Ravi Nitesh, Md Tanveer, Qamar Intekhab, Veena Behan, Gufran Khan, Devika Mittal, Manisha Kaushik, Aditya Diwedi & Sandeep Mishra. This campaign has already received message of Irom Sharmila. Singhjit (Irom's brother) is coordinating the campaign in Imphal. Campaign already announced Natiowide Signature Program from 02nd October 03 PM.