Irom Chandu Sharmila, the Iron lady of Manipur tasted mud in the game of thrones. The human rights activist, poetess made into the headlines and shot to fame by waging an epic battle against the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act since 2, November 2000 demanding the government of India to repeal the Act.
Irom kept her fast going for 16 years. With a tube inserted into her nose, she kept fasting, waiting for a victory that never came. For 16 years, nothing solid entered her body, not even a drop touched her lips. She dedicated her life as a bounden duty to people of Manipur, so that they can live without fear.
In the last 16 years, Irom became an icon and inspiration of Manipur. Her silence became a symbol of protest and Irom became a 'Che' for Manipur. But why she suffered a huge loss in the political arena? What caused her defeat ? The moment when she decided to withdraw her fast and take a plunge into electoral politics, people of Manipur revoked their solidarity to her. Irom lost the battle the day she broke her fast.
Manipur divided over her decision to join politics. Sharmila's personal transition from social activism to mainstream politics surprised and shocked the people. By launching a political party 'People's Resurgence Justice Alliance in Imphal', Irom dreamt to give security to the Manipuris from extremist elements and the atrocities of the armed force. But the Manipuri people crushed her political dreams. In the Assembly election, Sharmila only managed to get 90 votes, 53 less than NOTA.
Irom had entered the electoral arena with a dream in her eyes, but her eyes brimmed with tears, and she announced her departure form the ring after a shocking defeat. All she has been saying that soldiers should not be allowed to rape and kill a 'Manorama', to open fire at young people at cross roads, or to declare a 12-year-old child as 'terrorist' and shoot him in an 'encounter' in front of his mother.
Responding to the defeat, Irom Sharmila stoically wrote on her Face Book wall 'Thank you for 90 votes'. In the election where money mattered the most, Manipuri electorates gave a huge majority to criminals and strongmen in the polls, but the women who spend 16 years of her life for them left them unmoved.
