Heirok SPOs to follow Sharmila

Imphal, Dec 22 : The special police officers (SPOs) recruited for protection of Heirok in Thoubal district of Manipur may follow in the footsteps of human rights crusader Irom Sharmila instead of guarding the village with arms.

Sharmila has been on a fast unto death since November 2000 demanding lifting of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.

For the second consecutive day today, 300 SPO trainees continued their protest against the state government’s indecision on their future by refusing to attend training classes at the Manipur Police Training School.

“We are contemplating a hunger strike if the government fails to respond to our demand for a clear policy on our future. We will wait for some more days. If no response comes, we will go on a hunger strike,” an SPO said on condition of anonymity.

The SPOs launched their agitation yesterday. They held a sit-in at the training ground.

They remained confined to their respective barracks at the training school located at Pangei in Imphal East district.

“First we were told that the training is for one month. On completion of the training, we were again told that the training will last for three more months. Now it has been six months and we do not know when it will be over and we will go back to our village,” the SPO said.

The revolt came after they submitted a memorandum to the government seeking a clear policy on their future. “We are not receiving any response from the government. We are disillusioned and our morale is down as our future is uncertain. We may follow in the footsteps of Sharmila to seek justice,” the SPO said.

The SPOs also complained that they were not provided woollen clothes and blankets. “We have to arrange these for ourselves. This is winter and how can we do without sweaters? The government is indifferent to our plight,” a trainee said.

The SPOs are also planning to approach the Union home ministry if the government remained indifferent.

“We want to go back to our village and perform our duties as village guards. But the government has not taken any step for construction of barracks for the SPOs at Heirok,” another SPO said.

Kangla protester joins Sharmila cause

Ibobi slammed for apathy to cause

Meira paibis at the relay hunger strike at Porompat in Imphal East on Thursday. Picture by Eastern Projections Imphal, Dec 19 : A woman who was part of the naked protest in front of Kangla fort four years back today joined the relay hunger strike in support of Irom Sharmila’s demand to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. Th. Ramani Devi, a meira paibi leader, slammed the Okram Ibobi Singh government for its “indifference” to Sharmila’s cause and warned that people’s power would force the government to act. “Is Irom Sharmila a guinea pig? Is she being kept confined at the hospital to allow doctors to conduct medical tests?” Ramani Devi asked. She joined the relay hunger strike being held daily near the gate of Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital, where Sharmila has been kept for the past eight years. Sharmila began her hunger strike in November 2000 demanding a repeal of the “black law”. Ramani Devi, a leader of the All Manipur Women Social Reformation and Development Samaj, was one of the dozen elderly women who had stripped in front of the Assam Rifles headquarters atKangla fort in 2004. Custodial killing of a young girl, Thangjam Manorama Devi, by troops of the Assam Rifles in Imphal East had incensed the women. The unprecedented protest forced the Union government to not only withdraw the Assam Rifles from Kangla fort, but also constituted Jeevan Reddy commission to review the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act. The report is now lying with the government. Along with Ramani Devi, around 200 meira paibi activists took part in the relay hunger strike, which began on December 10, International Human Rights Day. The Save Sharmila Campaign, a body comprising meira paibi groups, is launching the relay hunger strike. “We have decided not to remain silent as Sharmila has been continuing her hunger strike for the cause of the people. We believe she is being kept at the hospital to experiment how long a person can survive under these conditions. We will see that Sharmila returns back to her normal life and the government removes the act,” Ramani Devi said. Another meira paibi leader, Huidrom Kanabala, added that all measures at their resources would be used to see that Sharmila resumed normal life after achieving her goal (the repeal of the act). Leaders of the Save Sharmila Campaign said if there was no response from the government to the relay hunger strike, they would intensify the agitation.