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Fasting for over a decade, Irom Sharmila has been fighting for her people of Manipur with silent resilience and sheer determination.
In November 2000, 10 civilians were allegedly shot dead in Malom, Manipur. Known as the Malom Massacre, this tragic incident was the trigger that forced Sharmila to embark on a non-violent fast, demanding the Indian government to repeal the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act – AFSPA. The AFSPA allows the Army to use force, shoot or arrest anyone without a warrant on mere suspicions. Many feel that instead of controlling insurgent groups as it was meant to, the act has instead victimized innocent civilians.
Known as the Iron Lady of Manipur, Sharmila has been fasting for more than a decade for her cause. While other activists and politicians who go on fasts are immediately attended to, strangely Sharmila’s appeals have made an excruciating slow progress indeed. Arrested every year under charges of attempted suicide, Sharmila is force-fed through a nasal tube. Years of fasting has led to a severe weakening of her body and deterioration of her health.
Sharmila has been conferred with several awards including the Rabindranath Tagore Memorial Peace Prize. But whether she will be able to end her fast on a victorious note remains to be seen.
Why we find her inspiring:
– When we find it difficult to skip even one meal a day, Sharmila has not eaten anything for more than 11 years. Need we say anything more to demonstrate her conviction?
– For believing that non-violence can win even in this day – in a world filled with blood and gore
– For being focused on her vision and never wavering from her chosen path
– For willing to sacrifice herself for the greater good of society
*Photo credit: The Hindu
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Being a writer, Nivedita Louis recognises the struggles of a first-time woman writer and helps many articulate their voice with development, content edits as a publisher.
“I usually write during night”, says author Nivedita Louis during our conversation. Chuckling she continues,” It’s easier then to focus solely on writing. Nivedita Louis is a writer, with varied interests and one of the founders of Her Stories, a feminist publishing house, based in Chennai.
In a candid conversation she shared her journey from small-town Tamil Nadu to becoming a history buff, an award-winning author and now a publisher.
Nivedita was born and raised in a small town in Tamil Nadu. It was for schooling that she first arrived in Chennai. Then known as Madras, she recalls being awed by the city. Her love-story with the city, its people and thus began which continues till date. She credits her perseverance and passion to make a difference to her days as a vocational student among the elite sections of Madras.
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