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Indian Woman Completes Ten-Year Hunger Strike

Posted by samzenpus on from the amazing-willpower dept.

Irom Chanu Sharmila, dubbed the "Iron Lady of Manipur," has completed her tenth year on hunger strike to protest civilian killings in Manipur. From the article: "Now 38, she was arrested shortly after beginning her protest – on charges of attempted suicide – and was sent to a prison hospital where she began a daily routine of being force-fed vitamins and nutrients via a nasal drip. Ms Sharmila is frequently set free by local courts, but once outside she resumes her hunger strike and is rearrested." And you complain when you have to eat a late lunch.

8 comments

  1. Hunger strike??? by Gofyerself · · Score: 1

    She is obviously not very good at it.

  2. Gotta admire the commitment by Capt.DrumkenBum · · Score: 1

    People really know how to protest in India.

    --
    If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
  3. Nasal Drip? by Literaryhero · · Score: 1

    I wonder what getting vitamins and nutrients force fed to me via nasal drip is like. Probably not a whole lot of fun.

    I also wonder how her stomach would handle solid food after ten years of being empty. I can't imagine that a spicy vindaloo would sit too well with her right now.

    1. Re:Nasal Drip? by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      I can't imagine that a spicy vindaloo would sit too well with her right now.

      She's Indian : if presented with a "spicy vindaloo", her first comment is likely to be "what is this repulsive slop?", followed shortly by howls of alternating hilarity and incredulity as you explain to her that you think this is "Indian" food.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
    2. Re:Nasal Drip? by Literaryhero · · Score: 1

      She's Indian : if presented with a "spicy vindaloo", her first comment is likely to be "what is this repulsive slop?", followed shortly by howls of alternating hilarity and incredulity as you explain to her that you think this is "Indian" food.

      Are you a troll or just ignorant? Let's see what Wikipedia says about vindaloo.

      Vindaloo or vindalu (Konkani) is a dish originally from Goa, India. ... Vindaloo is a popular dish in many parts of India.

      Since this also fits with my personal experience, I believe I can safely say you have no idea what you are talking about.

    3. Re:Nasal Drip? by RockDoctor · · Score: 1
      Also from the same source : "The Vindaloo served in western restaurants is really just a version of the standard "medium" restaurant curry with additional chilli and including potatoes."

      Or, as many sub-continentals of my acquaintance would describe it, "slop".

      But then again, a high proportion of my acquaintances frequently returned to the "home country", and a fair number were involved in the food trade for their discerning compatriots. Some also made a good living selling "Indian" food (also includes Pakistani foodstuffs, though not named as such ; that's marketing for you, no connection to truth), to ignorant Westerners, because they could get away with selling cheap slop at inflated prices. So I'll cede that their opinions may be somewhat biased by decades of exploiting Westerners.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  4. And you complain when you have to eat a late lunch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    FUCK YOU

  5. Background of Irom's protests by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    She has been fasting since last 10 years against the atrocities of Indian defense forces against separatists in the Indian state of Manipur, and the AFSPA act that gives them absolute powers.
    http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article865067.ece

    There has been a huge hue and cry by the media and the human right associations against her plight.

    Government of India constituted a judicial committee to overlook it. The Justice Reddy committee recommended:
    (a) To amend the provisions of the Act to bring them in consonance with the obligations of the Govt. towards protection of Human Rights; or
    (b)To replace the Act by a more humane Act.

    http://www.hinduonnet.com/nic/afa/afa-part-iv.pdf
    http://www.write2kill.in/critiques/conflict/359.html

    But the bigger questions here are:
    - How should India handle insurgents and dissidents that want to break a part free?
    - How to balance the "need for special acts that empower the defense forces to acts against militants" and "the abuse of power by defense forces" ?

    Ms Irom is perhaps caught in the cross-fire and it is tragic and I guess everyone would have sympathy for her - and may be some anger against the government for her condition.

    Borrowing few lines from some articles that give an alternate reasoning why her protests have fallen to deaf ears in New Delhi:

    " There is a reason why Irom's struggle does not resonate so well with others. It is not the method of her protest that is ineffective but her cause itself. Dissent should be channelized constructively. Merely going on fast that does not even resonate with her own people does no good to anyone!! "