Hueiyen News Service

Imphal, March 10: Irom Sharmila, the lady on indefinite hunger strike continuously for the last nearly 10 years re-arrested late Wednesday by a team of Porompat police of Imphal east district where a case under same section of IPC, 309 of the Indian Penal Code related with “attempt to commit suicide”

Sharmila was released on Monday late evening from the judicial custody after completion of one year sentence but she continued with the stir at Porompat PDA complex where members of the Sharmila Kanba Lup are on relay hunger strike as soon as she released from the jail.

Sharmila was arrested by the police this evening at about 5.30 pm and directly proceeded to produce before the duty magistrate before conducting medical check-up which was observed deteriorating in the last two days in the absent of nasal feeding administered on her in the JN Hospital security ward which converted into jail specially for lodging Sharmila.

Irom Sharmila, the Iron Lady who is on fasting in the judicial custody released Monday late evening only to re-arrest for 16th time and lodge in the same judicial custody for another one year on the charge of “attempt to commit suicide” under section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Sharmila was released late Monday on completion of her one year termed from the security ward of the government run JN Hospital, Porompat in Imphal east after she was sentenced by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East last year on March 9, 2009.
Personnel of Nambol police of Bishnupur police arrested her on November 6, a day after she started the fasting stir and produced in the court of JMIC under FIR case no. 106 (11) 2000 u/s 309 IPC of Nambol police station and remanded into judicial custody.

She was released but re-arrested on November 21 of the same year by the Imphal east police station as she continued the fast unto death at Porompat Super Market. Since then she has been arrested for 15 times during the period of fasting which is due to complete 10 year in November 2010.

Police had arrested Sharmila for 15th after registering 15 cases against her under same section 309 of the IPC dealing with “attempt to commit suicide”, a cognizable offence and punishable for one year or fine, or both.

Sharmila has been on fast for the last nine year since November 5, 2000, three day after the Malom Massacre of November 2, 2000 that killed 10 civilians in a shoot out by the troops of 8 Assam Rifles near a bus-stop in the aftermath of attacked by insurgents.

Shocked by the incident and protesting against the excessive meted out by the security forces under the shadow of the Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958 enforcing in the entire north east and Jammu and Kashmir to curb insurgency, Irom Sharmila started her lone fasting stir from November 5, 2005.

In the midst, she had shifted her fasting stir at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi in October 4, 2006 where she was in the judicial custody of Delhi police for one year and came back to Manipur on March 6, 2007 only to continue her stir at Nupilal Complex, in the heart of Imphal city.
Imphal west police arrested her and shifted to security ward of the JN Hospital where she has been on nasal feeding for the last more than nine year.

She was released Tuesday late evening by the authority on completion of her one year term but she continued with her stir at Porompat PDA Complex where Sharmila Kanba Lup (Save Sharmila group), a women organisation came to existence in December 2008 with the objective of saving Sharmila by pressing authority to repeal the AFSPA Act, 1958 from the entire state of Manipur and staging relay hunger strike since the inception of the body.

Meanwhile, around 30 members of the Sharmila Kanba Lup today attempted to storm the Manipur Legislative Assembly where the budget session was in progress. Police on alert on getting prior information blocked them and foiled their bid before reaching the Assembly complex.

Earlier, they attempted to meet with the Governor and submit a memorandum but security guards at the Raj Bhavan Gate refused them saying that they did not obtained prior permission for calling on with the Governor. In the memorandum that dropped at the gate of the Imphal Raj Bhavan for onward handing over to the Governor, the Sharmila Kanba Lup reiterated that the Act (AFSPA) is an Act which the people of India have an aversion to and the Act which various UN Special Procedures and the Review Committee of the Act (initiated by government) recommended against it with a strong notice of inhuman and highhandedness.

“Every media report of killings, tortures and other incidents of gross human rights violations caused Sharmila a pent up but she felt completely helpless to demonstrate what she wanted to do in action,” the memorandum which clearly recalled how Sharmila started her lone struggle for the people of the state stated.

A good few people from other parts of India also have come and participated showing support and solidarity to Sharmila. SAKAL considered the very non-violent and peaceful act of such divine personality for the cause of inalienable justice for the other human fellows is very rightful and universally acceptable, the memorandum stated.

“We are not happy with the government attitude of remaining silent even as the young lady is struggling for the last around 10 years to repeal the draconian law- Armed Forces (Special) Power Act, 1958 which every section of the society called for repeal,” Janaki Devi, the convener of the Sharmila Kanba Lup lamented.

She also cried when Sharmila was taken away by the police saying that she was not willing to stay with the police. They always ill-treated her in their custody.