Irom Sharmila has been fasting to protest against the brutal AFSPA that is in place in Manipur. In a historic decision, she announced that she will end her fast and contest the Manipur assembly polls, in continuing her fight.
The Quint spoke to students and professors from Manipur and other parts of India, asking them how they perceive the ‘Iron Lady’ and what lies ahead in Manipur’s future.
Unequivocally, people were against AFSPA. Those who have witnessed life under it, questioned what sort of a democracy subjects part of its population, to even stricter versions of colonial laws.
The constant fear people live under makes them feel like second-class citizens whose freedom is being encroached upon.
Irom Sharmila’s decision to end her fast is personal but in no means does it signify the end of the struggle against a totalitarian regime, where the army can rule almost with an iron fist, answerable to no higher authority.
Cameraperson: Shiv Kumar Maurya
Also Read: What Irom Sharmila, Always “Full of Surprises”, Has in Store Next
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