Irom Sharmila Chanu to end fast on August 9, plans to get married and fight elections

GUWAHATI: Rights activists Irom Sharmila Chanu has decided to conclude her fast on August 9, get married and contest the 2017 Manipur assembly poll as an independent. She was on fast for nearly 16 years demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (Afspa). The 44-year-old vowed to continue her struggle for repeal of Afspa on a political platform.

"I have changed my strategy. I will contest election with the agenda for repeal of Afspa. I want to see my agenda being fulfilled while I am alive. My new strategy is to utilise the strong democratic power," Chanu, known as the 'Iron Lady' said in Imphal on Tuesday. She said she did not get requisite support from organisations and politicians during her 16-year struggle. Many political leaders had met Chanu and tried to cajole her into joining politics but she had rejected all offers.

She is scheduled to appear before the court of the chief judicial magistrate (Imphal West) on August 9. She had refused to eat or drink anything since November 2000 after 10 persons were killed allegedly by Assam Rifles in an encounter with militants at Malom near Imphal airport.

She has been since forcibly fed through a nasal tube in Imphal's Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, a special ward which acts as her prison, but had maintained she loves food and life and will eat once Afspa is repealed. Chanu has expressed her desire to get married. She was known to have been close to Goaborn UK national, Desmond Coutinho, a writer and activist.

Babloo Loitongbam, executive director of Human Rights Alert, told ET: "It is coincidence that International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples is on August 9 and on the same day Sharmila will produced in court. She will not join any political party. In past she was approached by political parties and politicians."

He said her marriage, ending fast and joining politics would not weaken her cause. "The identity of Sharmila's bridegroom is still not revealed. It will revealed only after August 9." In 2015, a court in Imphal rejected charges of attempt to suicide against Chanu. It dropped the charge under Sec 353 of IPC, obstructing public servants on duty following which she was out of imprisonment for a brief period.