Q. Who is known as the Iron Lady of Manipur?

What is the reason behind in fasting

as a silent protest?
Ans: Irom Chanu Sharmila (born 14 March 1972), also known as the "Iron Lady of Manipur" is a
civil rights activist, political activist, and poet from the Indian state of Manipur. On 2
November 2000, in Malom, a town in the Imphal Valley of Manipur, ten civilians were shot
and killed while waiting at a bus stop. This incident is known as the "Malom Massacre", it was
allegedly fired by the Assam Rifles, one of the Indian Paramilitary forces operating in the state.
For this reason she began her fast in Malom on 5 November 2000, and vowed not to eat, drink,
comb her hair or look in a mirror until Armed Forces Special Powers (AFSPA) Act was
repealed.
Though various groups and commoners are supporting her cause, Irom represent the voice of
the common people of Manipur. In 2000, she joined Human Rights Act (HRA) on one month
internship. Here she came to know about the real disaster cause by continuous violence and met
a number of victims which grieved her deeply. She was enlightened about global rights issues
and the situation at Manipur. In September 2007, the National Alliance of Peoples
Movement, consisting of activists from different States of India, went to Imphal to join in a
five day hunger strike organized by Manipur Citizens. It was a protest against AFSPA, in
solidarity with Irom Sharmila. The solidarity fasts were also held across the globe in England,
Pakistan and the United States.
Government spokesperson have repeatedly assured the people of Manipur that they will review
the Act yet the Central Government ignored the judgment of its own committee, set up in 2004
to examine AFSPA. In 1958, the Indian government passed a law, the Armed Forces (Special
Powers) Act, 1958 which empowers the representative of the central Government, the
Governor to subsume the powers of the state government to declare undefined disturbed areas.
It also empowers the non-commissioned officers of the armed forces to arrest without warrant
to destroy any structure that may be hiding absconders without any verification to conduct
search and seizer, without warrant and to shoot even to the causing of death.
Through Iroms protest against a single Act of the gross injustice prevalent in a democracy,
people from different corners of the world are looking forward for an end to suffering in
Manipur from insurgencies along with a draconian response from the state has created a place
where violence is common. This definitely has an impact on society as a whole.