Imphal, December 28 2010: Out of the ' 51 lakh component of the Rabindranath Tagore Peace Award received, Irom Sharmila has decided to extend monetary assistance to five struggling women entrepreneurs and to the Blind Students' Welfare Association.

The five women entrepreneurs are Gaiongbou Golmei of Tamenglong district (running a battery repaire centre), Pandon Tony Gonmei of Langol (helping hand centre production unit), Nongmeikapam Tombi Devi of Koirou Mamang Leikai (COWF production unit), Jina Khumjam of Khurai Thoidingjam Leikai (our rest house production unit) and Leichonbam Ibemnungshi Devi of Thoubal (pottery production unit) .

In a function held at Manipur Press Club as part of the ongoing Arts Exhibition organized by the Manipur State Kala Akademy in association with the College of Visual Arts, Kolkata, it was declared that Sharmila will provide monetary assistance of ' 5000 each to the five women entrepreneurs and that the Blind Student Welfare Association will receive ' 10,000 .

Executive members of the Just Peace Foundation, Women Action for Development and IRDAO handed over the monetary assistance to the entrepreneurs and the organisation at the function which Monto Mand, architecture and professor of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore graced as chief guest and was presided over by his wife Geetanjali Monto, a science writer of Current Science Association, Bangalore.

Addressing the function as chief guest, Prof Monto Mand extolling the lone struggle of Sharmila said she will meet with success.

He hoped peace will be prevail one day in the Northeastern region.

Irom Singhajit, brother of Sharmila who attended the function on behalf of Just Peace Foundation announced that Monto Mand and Geetanjali Monto came here to personally hand over to Sharmila a book written by Geetanjali's uncle, Chynthia Young, entitled Partigya Satyagraha.

Singhajit said that Monto and Geetanjali expressed unhappiness that the Manipur government denied them visiting Sharmila.

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