IMPHAL, April 9: Requesting for urgent attention to release Irom Sharmila who is on hunger strike for the last 15 years demanding repeal of Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA), 1958; the North East Dialogue Forum (NEDF) submitted a memorandum to President of the country Pranab Mukherjee today.
In the memorandum, the forum drew attention of the President to the very unusual treatment of Irom Sharmila by the State and Indian authorities which, according to its understanding, fulfil the fact of arbitrary detention.
On November 2, 2000, an Army convoy was ambushed by armed non-State actors which led to causalities of the Indian Armed Forces. After a gap of nine hours, the Indian Armed Forces came back at the place of the bomb blast. At around 3:20 pm, Indian armed forces (Assam Rifles) moved down ten innocent civilians including a winner of Indian Presidential award for Child Bravery at Malom Makha Leikai, under Nambol Police Station, Bishnupur district, it said.
According to the memorandum, the armed forces indiscriminately fired at the village. Hundreds of civilians were injured due to torture and gunfire. The victims were not allowed to medical access. None were allowed to move out of their houses. Malom was turned into a complete ghost environment, the capital Imphal town and entire Manipur appeared deserted due to imposition of curfew.
From that incident, Irom Sharmila started her fasting on November 5, 2000. She was arrested by the Nambol Police and registered a case under FIR No. 106 (11) 2000 NBL P.S. U/S 309 IPC. On November 21, 2000, she was again arrested by the Porompat Police after she was released from the custody of Nambol P.S and registered a case under FIR No. 246 (11) 2000 PRT P.S. U/S 309 IPC, it stated.
On December 30, 2000, she was released but re-arrested under a Suo-Motto case under FIR No. 267 (12) 2000 PRT P.S. She was released from custody on November 21, 2001, and again arrested by the Porompat Police on a case under FIR No. 268 (11) 2001 PRT. PS u/s 309 IPC, it said.
On February 14, 2004, she approached the Supreme Court for unconditional release from the custody and to stop enforced feeding. On September 9, 2004, she was released by the CJM Imphal but arrested again in another case filed under FIR No. 134 (9) 2004 PRT PS u/s 309 IPC.
On September 16, 2004, a petition was filed before the High Court at Gauhati for her unconditional release. On September 21, 2004, the court passed an order directing the State government to release Sharmila unless her custody is required in any other case.
On September 29, 2004, she was released in compliance with the order of that court. On September 30, 2004, she was arrested under another case being FIR No. 145 (9) 2004 PRT PS u/s 309 IPC and produced before the court and remanded. On October 1, 2004, she was released and arrested from the Aka Train local play ground with case being FIR No.157(10) 2005 PRT PS u/s 309 IPC, the memorandum said.
On March7, 2008, she was released and rearrested on March 8, 2008, and again a series of arrests and re-arrests followed over the years. The authorities have released Irom Chanu Sharmila every year since 2000 only to arrest her shortly afterwards again on the same charge, it mentioned.
The memorandum claimed that in 2014, Sharmila was offered to contest in Lok Sabha polls from Aam Aadmi Party and Indian National Congress which she denied describing herself as a protestor not a politician.
In the same year, she submitted an application expressing her desire to cast her vote in Lok Sabha polls but India never allow her to cast vote under Section 62 (5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, it stated.
It said on August 19, 2014, the District and Session Judge, Imphal East and the Patiala High Court on March 29, 2016 ordered her release from custody under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), subject to there being no other grounds for detention.
The NEDF in the memorandum requested to visit Irom Sharmila, to collect her information and evidence and to finally develop a report and submit to Government of India;
It urged to communicate with the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister in order to recommend her release from arbitrary detention;
The forum also urged to repeal AFSPA 1958 from the State at the earliest.