Irom Sharmila completes 11 years of life without eating a morsel
Detained again, fast to continue
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, November 04 2011: The heroic and unprecedented struggle of Irom Chanu Sharmila against the infamous Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act would be completing 11 years tomorrow.

As done repeatedly earlier, Irom Sharmila was produced before a Court here today only to be re-arrested later.

Though frail and pale from 11 years of fasting, Sharmila has not lost a bit of her steely determination.

When the Judge asked if she would like to say anything, Sharmila, with the Ryle's tube inserted into her nose, pledged that she would continue with her crusade until the draconian military Act is scrapped.

Sharmila was produced before the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Imphal East at about 10.30 am.

She was brought there in a prison ambulance escorted by commandos.

Sharmila speaks to the media at the Court premises after permission from the CJM

The commandos did not allow anybody to approach Sharmila or talk to her.

When the Judge asked Sharmila if she would like to say anything, she stated that she would carry on her crusade against AFSPA and that she would like to say a few things before the media.

With the Court's permission, Sharmila talked to media persons for about 10 minutes within the Court complex.

Sharmila pledged that she would continue until the draconian Act is scrapped.

"While the State Government has been acting deaf and blind to my campaign, it is also preventing representatives of some social organisations to meet me", Sharmila decried.

Stating that Chief Minister Okram Ibobi has no humane feelings, Sharmila, with her parched lips, said that Ibobi is not a democratic leader.

When the media persons asked her if she would like to convey any message to the Prime Minister of India who is likely to come here within the current month, Sharmila enquired whether why New Delhi does not have the capacity to rule the country without AFSPA when men are exploring Mars to see if man can settle there.

She further asserted that New Delhi has been deliberately sleeping over the issue otherwise they could have scrapped the Act years back.