Sharmilaalso known as the “Iron lady of Manipur”has demanded the repeal of India’s Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) because it gives sweeping powers to the military to search properties, detain suspects without warrants and shoot on sight.
Since 2000, Sharmila has been arrested 14 times for trying to kill herself, prompting authorities to force feed her under a law that makes attempted suicide illegal, her counsel Khaidem Mani told CNN.
But Mani challenged the attempted suicide charge, citing the country’s history of hunger strikes. Mahatma Gandhi used the same mode of protest during the nation’s independence struggle, he told the sessions court in Imphal East, a district of Manipur.
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Manipur is an impoverished, landlocked state in India’s remote northeastern belt. For years, many Manipuri tribal communities have resisted the authority of Delhi, claiming that they have suffered neglect from the central government.
This disaffection has given rise to occasional outbreaks of violence.
