NEW DELHI, Aug 20 – Anna Hazare has reached out to fellow protester Irom Sharmila Chanu, the iron lady of Manipur, inviting her to join the anti-corruption rally here.
A close associate of the Gandhian, who is fasting at the Ramlila Ground here, said that Anna while extending full support to Sharmila Irom has invited her to participate in the anti-corruption rally.
However, there is slim chance of the Iron Lady joining Anna in his protest rally, as she is under arrest, said sources.
Irom Sharmila was arrested shortly after she began her hunger strike and charged with attempting to commit suicide – an offence under Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Irom Sharmila has remained in judicial custody over the past nine years. She is currently held at the security ward of the Jawaharlal Nehru hospital in Imphal, the capital of Manipur, where she is fed a diet of liquids through her nose.
Unlike Anna, Sharmila had begun her hunger strike over a decade ago, after the killing of 10 youths by the Assam Rifles in Malom, Imphal in November 2000. She demanded the withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from Manipur.
The Centre has only recently admittedin the Parliament that the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee had recommended repeal of the Act. The report is still under consideration of the Central Government. (SentinelAssam)
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