Iron Lady of Manipur Irom Sharmila to end hunger strike on August 9

Posted: 27 Jul 2016

IMPHAL, Manipur—Irom Chanu Sharmila has announced to end her 16 years long fast on August 9.  Irom Sharmila had started hunger strike in November, 2000 in protest of Human rights abuses being committed by Armed Forces under provisions of AFSPA.  Sharmila is renowned for her hunger strike against the imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur,
Addressing the media outside a local Court on July 26, Irom Sharmila said that she no longer believes that her fast will lead to the repeal of the draconian AFSPA but she will continue the fight. “That is why I will join politics and my fight will continue,” said Sharmila who has refused to eat or drink anything since November, 2000.
On September 11, 1958 the Indian government had imposed AFSPA on seven North-East states including Manipur. Under this act, special powers were granted to the Armed forces deployed in the states labelled as ‘disturbed’. The Armed Forces (Assam and Manipur) Special Powers Act, 1958 empowered only the Governors of the States and the Administrators of the Union Territories to declare areas in the concerned State or the Union Territory as ‘disturbed’.
When India presented its second periodic report to the United Nations Human Rights Committee in 1991, members of the UNHRC asked numerous questions about the validity of the AFSPA. They questioned the constitutionality of the AFSPA under Indian law and asked how it could be justified in light of Article 4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, ICCPR. On 23 March 2009, UN Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay asked India to repeal the AFSPA. She termed the law as “dated and colonial-era law that breach contemporary international human rights standards”.
On 31 March 2012, the UN asked India to revoke AFSPA saying it had no place in Indian democracy.  Christof Heyns, UN’s Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions said “During my visit to Kashmir, AFSPA was described to me as ‘hated’ and ‘draconian’. It clearly violates International Law. A number of UN treaty bodies have pronounced it to be in violation of International Law as well.”