Irom Sharmila to break 16-year-fast, to contest elections in Manipur
NEW DELHI: Manipuri rights activist Irom Sharmila , who has been demanding the repeal of controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act ( AFSPA ), has decided to break her fast of 16 years and will fight elections.
“I will break my fast as the government has failed to give any positive response. I will fight elections to resolve the issues,” she said on Tuesday.
She will break her fast on August 9. Irom has been on a hunger strike since November 2000, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).
Sharmila began her hunger strike in November 2000 against the killing of 10 civilians by security forces a bus stop near Imphal airport. Sharmila, who is fed through a nasal tube, has justified using fast as a weapon to achieve her goal of repealing AFSPA.
“Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, had resorted to fasts while making certain demands,” she said.