A Manipur based organisation—Alliance for Socialist Unity, Kangleipak (ASUK) has asked Manipur’s ‘Iron lady’ Irom Sharmila to rethink her decision to end her 16-year long fast.
last week, Sharmila, who had been fasting since 2002 demanding repeal of Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), had announced that she is going to end her indefinite fast on August 9 and would contest the forthcoming assembly elections in Manipur next year as an Independent candidate. She had also indicated that she would marry her long time friend Desmond Coutinho.
A statement jointly signed by ASUK Chairman N Oken and Vice-Chairman Ksh laba Meitei pointed out that some former revolutionary leaders were assassinated as they turned against the revolutionary movement soon after they got elected as people's representatives.
ASUK, in the statement, appealed to Sharmila not to degrade her status by joining electoral politics. The organization stated Sharmila's decision to marry a non-local man cannot be called correct.
It may be mentioned here that Desmond, who has been in touch with Sharmila mostly through letters, is a UK national born in Goa. An activist and a writer, Desmond was in troubles in the past in Manipur while trying to meet Sharmila in the hospital, where she was kept in police custody.