Imphal, March 11 : A day after human rights crusader Irom Sharmila was sent back to jail, a support group today announced its second phase of agitation in solidarity with her struggle.
An Imphal court yesterday sent Sharmila back to jail on the same charge of making an attempt to commit suicide after she refused to call off her hunger strike after coming out of jail on March 9.
The support group has been holding a relay hunger strike since International Human Rights Day on December 10 at Porompat in support of Sharmila’s demand for repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
So far 15,000 meira paibis (women activists) from different parts of the state have taken part in the fast. “Sharmila Kanba Lup will launch its second phase of agitation by holding street-corner meetings, poster campaigns and distribution of leaflets in different parts of Manipur from tomorrow,” convenor of the campaign, A.K. Janaki, said at the venue today.
She said the campaign was aimed at creating awareness among the people about Sharmila’s cause and the need for “restoration” of the right to life, which was “denied by the government to the people in the name of counter-insurgency operations”.
The campaigners comprise civil society bodies, including women’s organisations. The campaign will continue during Yaoshang (Holi), a festival celebrated over five days in Manipur.
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