Imphal, January 14 2009: Giving a clarion call to all the mothers for relentless efforts towards saving the life of Irom Chanu Sharmila, convenor of Sharmila Kanba Lup K Taruni has expressed regret over the indifferent attitude of both the people and the Government of Manipur to the lone struggle that Sharmila has been fighting for the last more than 8 years now in pursuance of the demand for withdrawal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act from Manipur.

The Sharmila Kanba Lup has been organising a indefinite hunger relay strike at PDA complex, Porompat since December 10, 2008 in support of the cause of Sharmila.

Along with completion of 36 days of the ongoing hunger relay strike today, a 10-member delegation of the Lup led by its convenors K Taruni, Janaki and co-convenor Momon visited Sharmila at the security ward of JN Hospital where Sharmila has been continuing her fast unto death agitation more than 8 years now.

Speaking at the occasion, 75-year old K Taruni observed that the oblivious nature of the public and the indifferent attitude of the Government to the agitation being launched by Sharmila for 8 years now is regrettable.

Janaki said that even if the public seem to have forgotten the struggle of Sharmila, all of us are still suffering from the impact of daily violent incidents of killing innocent people all the same.

This is something that every mother would not be able to bear and so we would relentlessly carry forward the ongoing hunger relay strike and save the life of Sharmila.

After welcoming the visitors, Sharmila said that people of the State seems to have used to the news report of daily killings and this is very unfortunate.

The governance of the State has also become incomplete due to absence of adequate women representatives in the State Assembly, she noted.

On the other hand, in continuation of the hunger relay strike, members of CADA headquarters, CADA Takyel Khongbal Unit, CADA Iroisemba Unit and CADA Leirenkabi Unit today precipitated in it.

Among the resource persons who addressed the gathering today, NIPCO vice president Arjun Pukhrambam asserted that Armed Forces Special Powers Act is a Act that violate the right to life and dignity of the people.

So it is antithesis to the Indian Constitution.

Even if the common people as a whole is against continued imposition of the Act, the politicians, police officers and corrupted individuals do not want to repeal the Act.

In such a situation, only the collective voice and efforts of the people would be able to repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act, Arjun said, while calling upon the people for working towards a collective spirit of the people.

The voice of anguished people against continued imposition of the Act should be made to be heard and echoes in the Indian Parliament for repealing the Act, he exhorted the gathering.

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