Irom Sharmila, a civil rights activist from Manipur, India, has been on a hunger strike since 2000 to protest the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) and demand its repeal from Manipur and other conflict-torn regions. She began her hunger strike after 10 civilians were allegedly shot dead by paramilitary forces in the state. Her hunger strike is the longest recorded hunger strike in human history as she is force fed through nasal tubes while under arrest. She has received several national and international awards for her non-violent struggle and activism against human rights abuses perpetrated under the protection of AFSPA.

1. The Iron lady of
Manipur
Presentation by BIOEYE

3. Objectives:
To educate everyone about Irom Sharmila and
her struggle for peace in North Eastern states
of India.
AFSPA act and its consequences in those
areas.
Hunger strike of Irom Sharmila to repeal the
AFSPA act.

5. Indian Army rescue operation at the
Uttarakhand tragedy

6. Indian army’s mission 26/11

7. Indian army at Kargil war

8. Introduction :
Born on : 14th March 1972.
Belongs to : Imphal, Manipur,
India.
Education : Upto 12th
Occupation : Civil rights activist,
Political activist
and Poet.
Marital status : Unmarried
Parents : Irom C Nanda
Irom Ongbi Sakhi

9. She was the youngest of all the nine children
born to Irom C Nanda and Irom Ongbi Sakhi.

10. The reasons for her struggle:
 Ten civilians were allegedly shot and killed by the
Assam Rifles, one of the Indian Paramilitary
forces (AFSPA) operating in the state, while waiting at a
bus stop. This incident is called as the famous Malom
massacre happened in 2000.
The newspapers published the photos of a 62-year
old woman, Leisangbam Ibetomi, and 18-year old
Sinam Chandramani, a 1988 National Child Bravery
Award winner who were dead in this incident.

11.  Armed Forces Special Powers Act.
 Under section 4 (a) in 1958 it came into action.
Act’s objective: Army officers have legal
immunity for their actions.
There can be no prosecution, suit or any other
legal proceeding against anyone acting under
that law.

12. The Central Government assigned to all the North-
Eastern states of India known as the “Seven Sisters”,
which include the following Assam , Manipur , Tripura ,
Meghalaya , Arunachal Pradesh , Mizoram and Nagaland.
They assigned it particularly to these areas as they are
the “Disturbed areas” , or the “Dangerous areas” ,
declared by the Central government of India.

13. Rules assigned to the Army personnel
of AFSPA:
To arrest without a warrant anyone who has committed
cognizable offences or is reasonably suspected of having
done so and may use force if needed for the arrest.
To enter and search any premise in order to make such
arrests, or to recover any person wrongfully restrained or any
arms, ammunition or explosives and seize them.
Stop and search any vehicle or vessel reasonably
suspected to be carrying such persons or weapons.

14. The atrocities of AFSPA
The Act has been at the heart of concerns about human
rights violations in the regions of its enforcement , where
Arbitrary killings
Torture
Cruelty
Inhuman and inequitable
Degrading treatment and
Enforced disappearances have happened .

15. Women were kidnapped, raped and sexually abused.
Men were taken away and never returned home.
They were amputated .
People were made nude for the army’s entertainment
and were asked to dance and walk on the streets.
If they disobey their orders they would be shot dead.

16. Indian army in Manipur

17. The great “Hunger strike”
 Irom started her strike on 2nd November 2000 to repeal
the AFSPA act.
 She was arrested by the police on 6th November 2000
and was charged with an “attempt to commit suicide”.
“I love life. I don’t want to take my life. What I want is justice and
peace,” Ms. Sharmila replied. “I am protesting against AFSPA. If
AFSPA is repealed I will take food again.”

18.  Her health deteriorated rapidly, and
she was forced to use nasogastric
intubation to keep alive while under
arrest.

19. Imphal free from AFSPA:
 Chief Minister, O.Ibobi Singh announced to lift
AFSPA-Act 1958 from seven assembly
constituencies in greater Imphal (The capital city of
Manipur) area on 11 August, 2004.
 Minutes after the announcement, Special Secretary
(Home) Government of Manipur, S.Dinokumar Singh
issued a notification for lifting the act from these
areas.
 But, still some of the places were under this act for
which Irom was fighting to deliver their rights.

20. Continued Activism
 In a protest demonstration, she was joined by
students, human rights activists at Jantar Mantar on 2nd
October 2006 , the day she was released from jail.
she was re-arrested by the police on 6th October 2006,
for attempting suicide and was taken to The All India
Institute of Medical Sciences (New Delhi) .
In 2011, she invited anti-corruption activist Anna
Hazare to visit Manipur, and he sent two
representatives to meet her because of his ill health.

21. Awards for her extraordinary
struggle
Nominated to Nobel Peace Prize by the North East Network
in 2005.
Recipient of “Gwangju Prize for Human Rights” in 2007.
“Rabindranath Tagore Peace Prize” in 2010.
“Adivasi Ratna Award” in 2011.

22. Iron lady Irom Sharmila being presented the
“Signature Peace Award” by the team of
Signature Sarva Gunah Sampanna Awards
Selection Committee.

23. Campaigns supporting Sharmila’s
struggle
Save Sharmila Campaign, jointly launched by network of
various civil societies in India.
Just Peace Foundation, formed to promote the cause of
Irom Chanu Sharmila.

24. Work’s on her life
There were some important books written in support to
Irom Sharmila’s struggle like:
Deepti Priya Mehrotra's Burning Bright: Irom
Sharmila and the Struggle for Peace in Manipur”.
Minnie Vaid a filmmaker from Manipur wrote a book
named ,“Iron Irom Two Journeys- Where the abnormal
is normal”.

25. She herself wrote a long poem in protest against
the atrocities of Indian army in Manipur. She titled
the poem as “Birth”.
This was the conclusion part of the book written
by Minnie Vaid.

26. Poem written by Sharmila
“Wake up brothers and sisters
The savior of the nation
We have come out all the way
Knowing we all will die
Why the fear is
So shaky in the heart?
I am bidding farewell
Yet longing for life
Though birth is followed by death
So fond of to accomplice
My desired mission.”

27. Thank you