IMPHAL, Aug 25: The People Platform Secretariat (PPS) has strongly condemned the forcible re-arrest of Irom Chanu Sharmila under the same section 309 of the India Penal Code, attempt to commit suicide after she was released on August 20 by an order of the Manipur East Session Court ruling that authorities had failed to establish that Irom Chanu Sharmila had intended to commit suicide and stated that her protest was a political demand through a lawful means.
According to a release of PPS, it strongly condemned the manner in which she was arrested by the police like a criminal. The PPS also questioned regarding the arrest of Sharmila under the same section of 309 IPC which the court had dismissed.
Furthermore, the PPS has strongly demanded that Irom Sharmila be released immediately without any condition and allow her to move freely like any other citizen of India.
A special investigation team must be established to investigate into police excess arresting her and on the official who ordered the re-arrest of Sharmila, disrespecting the court’s order.
It also demanded that Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 be repealed. The organisation also sought an answer to questionable logic of allowing the erection of a statue of Mahatma Gandhi, the champion of non-violent hunger strikes in the vicinity of UN, Geneva, while in the same breath restricting Sharmila from fasting in the footsteps of Gandhi and for the cause of justice, and arresting her on criminal charges, it said.
A press release of the North East Dialogue Forum has also strongly condemned the re-arrest of Irom Sharmila by the government with the kind of brutality, cruelty and inhumane manner after she was released by the court.
The Forum has stated that it is unable to understand the reason for arresting Sharmila like a criminal after the court has ruled that authorities had failed to establish that Sharmila had intended to commit suicide and stated that her protest was a ‘political demand through a lawful means’.
It further questioned why the Government of India is still imposing the AFSPA when the International and UN bodies have termed clearly that AFSPA is a security legislation to be imposed in times of war, it said.
