The Slow Fast

Shougat Dasgupta’s profile of Irom Sharmila (Sharmila’s Choice) was a refreshing departure from the spate of stories that have appeared in the media ever since she announced her decision to end her 16-year-long fast for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Manipur. She is summarily being accused of sabotaging a great cause. Whose cause was it anyway? It was not hers alone to bear, nor did she sign any contract to uphold it unto death. It’s a shame that Sharmila has wasted her youth on a selfish group of people who have wanted to catch fish without wetting their hands. When, after 16 long years of solitude and deprivation, the iron lady finally broke down, it was a testament to our collective cowardice, hypocrisy and expediency.