Neither happy nor sad: Activist’s family
CHENNAI/GUWAHATI: Irom Sakhi was “neither happy nor sad” when her daughter Irom Sharmila ended her fast on August 9 last year and ceased to be Manipur’s iconic silent voice against the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.
The 85-year-old had a similar feeling when she was told Sharmila and her long-time British beau Desmond Coutinho went to the sub-registrar’s office in Kodaikanal on Wednesday to apply for marriage registration.
Kodaikanal is a picturesque hill station in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu where Sharmila, 45, intends to settle down. Sub-registrar S Rajesh confirmed receiving the application and said the marriage can be solemnised if there are no objections within a month of registration. The Special Marriage Act provides this 30-day window. “We will wed in Kodai after 30 days,” Sharmila said.
Irom Singhajit, her elder brother, said “it is her life and, as an adult, she has the right to take her own decision”. “We did not object when she decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike against a massacre by Assam Rifles in November 2000, and we finally accepted her decision to end it last year. Why should we come in her way now?” said Singhajit, a trustee of the Just Peace Foundation that handled her struggle.
Other rights groups have said they see no reason why Sharmila cannot continue with her personal journey after giving much of her youth to a people’s cause.
Sharmila had left Manipur after losing the assembly election in March to former chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh by managing to get only 90 votes. Sharmila, however, said marriage will not kill the activist in her. “I will not be in politics but will continue to lend support to PRJA to make it stronger. And I will lobby with global bodies to pressure India to scrap the draconian AFSPA.”