IMPHAL, February 24: Irom Chanu Sharmila has been selected for `Sthree Shakti Award`™ instituted by KA Kunjila Smaraka Sthree Trust, Cochin for her extraordinary courage and determination in continuing her hunger strike for 15 year years, demanding the repeal of Armed Forces (Special) Powers Act, 1958, stated managing trustee and the director FIAT JUSTICIA Adv ML George today at a press meet at the Manipur Press Club, Imphal.
According to ML George, the trust has already offered the award to five individuals from Kerala at different points of time since 2007. It is the sixth such award given by the trust and the first time it is being given away from the State of Kerala.
He said when Sharmila was approached for handing over the award; she gave it in writing that she would accept the award formally only after `achieving her goal`™.
Sharmila was approached for offering the award which carries Rs 25,000 in cash yesterday in her judicial custody at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences, Porompat.
He said the award is instituted in the name of KA Kunjila, a freedom fighter and a khadi activist who was also the founder secretary of `Nattika Desiya Mahila Samajam`™.
The cash prize is drawn from the pension amount saved by the freedom fighter, added ML George.
He expressed that there was no hassles in getting permission from the concerned authorities in meeting Irom Sharmila for more than half an hour.
The press conference was also attended by trustees of the Just Peace Foundation and Executive director, Human Rights Alert Babloo Loitongbam.