IMPHAL, March 10 � Renown rights activist Irom Chanu Sharmila, on a fast unto death for more than nine years demanding repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) 1958 from Manipur, was re-arrested this evening but her fast continued.
Manipur�s Iron Lady continues to resume her fast unto death agitation after she was released from the security ward of JN Hospital after her one year jail term on March 8 evening.
She continues her fast till her re-arrest this evening at Porompat area close to the Hospital where women activists, under the Sharmila Kanba Lup, SKL (Save Sharmila Campaign body), had been on an indefinite relay hunger strike for more than a year to press the government to fulfill her demand.
Sharmila began her agitation in November 2000 � a day after personnel of 8 Assam Rifles mowed down 10 people near Imphal airport � demanding repeal of AFSPA which enables certain special powers to be conferred upon members of the armed forces deployed here and alleged that under this Act, human rights violation was taking place for years in the region. The Act has been in force in Manipur since 1980. Since then she was kept at a JN Hospital ward where she was nose-fed as she refuses to take food orally.
Meanwhile, in the afternoon today, police prevented women activists from entering the State Assembly premises on their way to submit a memorandum demanding repeal of AFSPA.
