By Irom Chanu Sharmila
Hopeful as before, I, Irom Sharmila who has been continuously on hunger strike for fifteen years for removal of Armed Forces Special Power Act 1958 in Manipur, invite Eningthou Leishemba Sanajaoba to be my defense witness through media.
Beloved masses, I report you, the judge, in order to accuse me that I attempt for suicide, says that when Anna Hajare and Baba Ramdev were on hunger strike, it was for a few days and they took food intermittently but I have been continousely on nose feeding for fifteen years and so it is an attempt for suicide.
Don`™t you understand that when Anna Hajare and Baba Ramdev were on hunger strike, people around them stood firm in supporting them against the false trap and promises of the government declaring as witness that they used hunger strike only as a means of attaining their democratic objective by bearing the physical pain of hunger and thus the collective unity of the people could transform it as the voice of the movement compelling the government to listen and to give in to the voice; but every year when I am set free, I do not get such support from the people of Manipur except their self-satisfaction at my position as a world record holder!
Hasn`™t the heritage of our society any relation with the protest of hunger striker, Sharmila to remove the Black Law in order to make democracy meaningful? The government looks upon my struggle as an attempt to reach the moon above or an insane voice.
Isn`™t it too late for the responsible person of the region to find out a collective social commitment why the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, framed the Black Law and it has been impose in the North Eastern region of India including Manipur for so long? Isn`™t it time to make a decision whether my movement is right and to be supported or wrong and to be retreated?
I who hasn`™t taken even a single drop of water and faith being my religion and bearing pain my way of life for fifteen years have no fear and no feelings of shame when my patriotic spirit has been played as a game by the Just Peace Foundation cheating my inner being.
A book based on Guwangju Prize for Human Rights, May 18 Celebration Committee and history of South Korean prize winners has been recently published. When I was in Delhi for Patiala trial, through Tamo Babloo Loitongbam I was given the questionnaire sent to all the Guwangju laureates as a part of the preparation of the said book. When he told me to answer the questionnaire with his help, I declined and answered it after coming back to Manipur and sent the manuscript through the help of a journalist. All my words which are damaging to them have not been included in the book except singing highly of their own achievements and quality making the world believe that those were my words. Had I opened the book and read it when delivered to me, I shouldn`™t have signed it and should have sent it back to the person who fabricated all these deceits. In 2007 when they went to receive the award in South Korea in my name, I didn`™t show any interest to give my consent to them. It was to my surprise when I found in the introd
uctory speech of my own brother, Singhajit, in the souvenir given to me after they came back home, which mentions that I sent them to collect the prize in order to support the movement of our womenfolk with financial assistance. Without seeking any opinion of mine, I have been used as a weapon. In my journey for freedom and success, my right and the responsibility have been suppressed making me unable to express my inner spirit.
I see no silver lining when just Peace Foundation and Sharmila Kanba Lup (SAKAL) come forward to be my defense witness only by exercising power to control my movement of hunger strike which as continued for the last fifteen years.
I appeal sincerely to all the scholars, religious leaders of all communities, village chiefs of the Hill Districts, artists and writers to come forward. Have you ever seen in any corner of the world people isolating a young woman who takes a lone journey of hunger strike for fifteen years surviving miserably through forced nose feeding in prison against the Black Laws which suppress the people of a democratic country? Don`™t you see your indifference will remain as a black spot in history? Please move forward and join heads to bring a solution of this journey of struggle. Please understand I shed tears not in vain.
Leaving aside the corrupted rulers of the region who have no fear of the diving punishment for sucking the blood of their own brethren, I request Eningthou Leishemba Sanajaoba who is a descendent of Lainingthou Pakhangba and whom the people wish to save and protect them and to exercise his power and wisdom in defense of justice and of my non-violent movement for which the government accuses me for attempting suicide.
Along with this appeal I would like to draw your kind attention towards the unjust claim of the union government of the infallibility of the Indian constitution using which the whim of the powerful ignores the recognition of the different cultures `“ languages, religions and heritages of the small groups of people of different origin and divides the territorial boundaries of many groups of people by inciting rivalries among brethren. My I put that the constitution cannot be compared with the Mahabharatta which was composed by Saint Vyas.
`Hingsagi marum thuplaga khongthanglimakhei malemda aeengba leiroi.` (Long as we disguise our aspirations behind the shield of violence, the world will never find peace.)