Horlicks and Chabon: Irom Sharmila Eats Her First Meal in 16 Years

The morning after Sharmila broke her fast, she forgot to eat.

Irom Sharmila gives a thumbs-up sign as she leaves after breaking her fast in Imphal, Manipur. (Photo: AP)

A little dab of honey and a lot of tears – that’s what Irom Sharmila’s public appearance on 9 August was about. It wasn’t just any other day. It marked the end of the iconic activist’s 16-year-long fast to fight against AFSPA in her home state of Manipur.

The morning after, on 10 August, Sharmila forgot about food.

I had forgotten about food in the morning. I only remembered food after the doctor reminded me.

Irom Sharmila

Sharmila’s meal consisted of honey and water first, then Horlicks and Chabon, a Manipuri rice soup.

Irom Sharmila at the hospital the day after she broke her fast. (Photo: The Quint)

Also Read: After 16 Long Years in Hospital, Irom Sharmila Has Nowhere to Go

The Transition

For many years now, the 44-year-old ‘Iron Lady’ has been force-fed through a plastic tube. Hence, Sharmila’s transition into a normal life isn’t going to be easy.

Sharmila is now under supervision at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences in Imphal, where she’s been put on a special liquid diet.

Her long-running abnegation of solid food has made it hard for her to transition back immediately, a senior doctor 

For a while, Sharmila will be on liquid diet, and will likely stay in the hospital room for medical back-up support until she is in a situation to take solid food and recover physically.

Also Read: After 16 Years, Irom Sharmila Breaks Her Fast: What Lies Ahead?