Imphal, July 14 2017: A day after Irom Sharmila filed an application to tie the knot with her British partner Desmond Coutinho at the sub registrar’s office in Kodaikanal, the rights crusader on Thursday said she doesn’t want to return to her home state, Manipur, ever again.
Speaking to TOI on the phone, Sharmila said, “I fought against the oppressive Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for 16 long years but people rejected me in the polls. That’s why I don’t want to go back to Manipur again. It’s a personal decision which I took after my defeat in the assembly election.”
On August 9 last year, Sharmila ended her epic 16-year-long fast with a dash of honey and announced that she would contest polls with the sole objective of repealing AFSPA.
However, all three candidates of PRJA, including her, had to bite the dust in the polls this year.
A few days after the election results were declared, Sharmila went to Perumalmalai in Kodaikanal to get ‘mental relief’.She is staying there since then .
“I’m totally fed up with politics.
Nevertheless, I’ll continue to fight against AFSPA in some other forum.
Now, I’ve joined the Green Alliance, a social body that has diverse objectives.
Through it, we will chalk out plans to campaign for scrapping the oppressive military Act,” said Sharmila .
Asked about her upcoming marriage, Sharmila added that the sub-registrar will issue the marriage certificate probably in the middle or third week of August.
She added that the marriage will be solemnized at a local church in Perumalamalai .
“There is no plan to invite our family members, relatives and friends for the ceremony.
Some local well-wishers are likely to attend the function,” said the rights crusader.
Source: The Sangai Express
