Irom Sharmila, a living icon of liberty-famished Indians By:- Marc-olivier
Parlatano *
This article was originally published at
Le Courrier on 13th April
2006 edition.
SOUTH ASIA - In Manipur (North East of India), civil society supports the
struggle of a young woman who keeps fasting for peace
Two thousand and fifty-two days on the 13th of April: this is the longest
political fast ever recorded in world's history. In Manipur, one of the "seven
sisters", a State of Indian Union in the North Eastern area, the female activist
Irom Chanu Sharmila refuses to swallow food using her mouth since the Fall of
year 2000.
Her only life line is a nasal catheter which feeds her. In a hospital in Imphal,
Manipur's state capital, this 34-year-old woman protests against AFSP law, Armed
Forces Special Powers Act, an emergency law which gives extended powers to the
army in this small State close to Burmese border.
A KILLING IN NOVEMBER 2000
Manipur is burning. Not less than twenty insurgency groups fight against federal
Indian armed forces since more than half a century. AFSP gives since 1958 the
right to shoot at anyone who is suspected to be a rebel. That context makes
possible some tragedies as the killing of November 2000: on that day, a convoy
of Assam Rifles ("fusiliers de l'Assam" in French) was attacked, and in
retaliation, the AR soldiers shot dead ten civilians who were waiting for the
bus, Vachan*, a student, summarizes.
Irom Chanu Sharmila started fasting to protest after the killing. Since then,
Sharmila has been added to the global list of "1000 Women for Peace Nobel
Prize". At the end of March, the filmmaker
Kavita Joshi met her. A Joshi's
short film about the conflict in Manipur was awarded in February at a movie
festival in Kerala (South Western India). Media in India already told about
Sharmila, but she remains almost unknown in Europe.
MANIPUR, A LAND OF COVETED STRATEGICAL RESOURCES
But a way towards peace will be long. Manipur does not find a hope of
appeasement. That is the contrary. To give an example of the political climate,
from the 21st of February to the 2nd of March, Naobi Chanu, a young teacher, has
been detained, beaten up and raped[3]. Even if on March 4, five policemen have
been suspended - Manipur Government is investigating the case - the tension
remains quite high. Bullet wounds and violent deaths happen nearly every day in
Manipur.
Because of the enduring warfare, life becomes painful and difficult: "Imphal is
only a town by name, Ajita* tells. Everything falls apart. There is a lack of
electricity and water supply". Ajita asserts that New Delhi divides and rules in
Manipur to empty entire areas of the State and to ease their exploitation
without "obstacles".
Manipur actually conceals a real treasury. Not jewels, but "Imphal is sitting on
natural gas and uranium", Ajita explains (in Meghalaya, another State in North
East, uranium was found as well). Under Manipuri soil there is also "black
gold", oil. This is not surprising if Ajita considers insurgency groups not as
rebels but as people fighting for their (and her) rights.
"THEY HAVE A DREAM", A REFERENDUM'S DREAM
However, insurgents are not automatically and magically united. The Nagas, who
also inhabit the neighbouring State of Nagaland and Myanmar (Burma), demand the
sovereignty of all Nagas, included Manipur Nagas. If Naga rebellion could win,
Manipur would disappear or would have its size reduced by 60%... At that moment,
in Nagaland, a ceasefire between Naga insurgency and Indian army will last until
August1. So Nagaland seems closer to peace than Manipur.
Manipur? A sick person in coma already entering NDE (near death experience) ?
Not in Imphal; the people keep resisting, as shown by the "iconic" figure of
Irom Chanu Sharmila who carries on fasting, faithful to Gandhi's concept of
"ahimsa", non-violent behaviour. Moreover, in spite of the long war, civil
society dares to have a dream: on the 28th of March, five NGOs met in Imphal.
They demand a referendum under the aegis of UN in Manipur and appeal to be
united beyond the differences between tribes and cultures, just to help the
dream to come true. It is utopic, in the present military and political
environment, but at least, in war-torn Manipur, a handful of citizens do not
capitulate in front of guns. Here they are, the "Sharmilas" from the far side of
the world ![2]
*The names are forged to keep anonymity of people
You can read the original article
here.
References
[1] Read "Le Courrier", March 8, 2006
[2] The researcher John Parratt published "Wounded Land, Politics and Identity
in Modern Manipur", Mittal, Delhi, 2005, 252 pp. Manipur was a princely State
ruled by dynasties of Maharajahs. In 1891, the British seized Manipur. Two
uprisings took place in 1917 and 1939. Manipur is a part of India since 1949.
[3] Hundreds of Manipuris protested in New Delhi on April 4 to support Chanu and
tens of Manipuri Hmar indigenous women who were also raped.
* Marc-olivier Parlatano, a journalist, wrote this
article for Le Courrier
which was published on 13th April 2006.
Team E-pao thanks Marc-olivier Parlatano for giving permission to reproduce his
original article as well as the picture of a Manipuri women protesting.
He can be contacted at < mop at lecourrier dot ch >
This article was webcasted on 20th April 2006.