The nation is rejoicing as Anna’s farce fast unto ‘death’ crusade ends. We decided to compare this with another hunger strike being kept by Irom Chanu Sharmila. A fast which has lasted for more than 10 years…
Why is she fasting?
Sharmila is protesting against the Armed Forces – Special Powers Act (AFSPA) which confers special powers to the Army in states in North East India. This allows the army to effectively search any premise and arrest anyone without a warrant. The act also has a fairly lenient view towards allowing the army to fire upon people.
On 1st Nov 2000, in Malom (a town in the Imphal valley of Manipur), 10 people waiting for their bus at a bus station were gunned down by Indian paramilitary forces. The dead included 18-year-old Sinam Chandramani, a 1988 National Child Bravery Award winner. Sinam was a 4-year-old when he saved another child from drowning.
This incident triggered Sharmila’s fast. And she has been continuing with it for over a decade. Sharmila’s fast is unparalleled in the history of political protest.
How was Anna’s fast different?
Three days after Sharmila started her fast in 2000, the police arrested her for attempting to commit suicide. Since then, government authorities have forced into her body mixtures of nutrients and vitamins through tubes in her nose. In Anna’s case it would be almost impossible to imagine him being arrested for committing suicide at any point in his protest. This was largely due to the extent of support he had in the form of the who’s who of India’s intellect and massive support from the masses. It has become fashionable to support Anna and the Jan Lok Pal bill is being projected as a super hero that will save the country and put us on the path of becoming a super power.
Hazare’s primary concern is bringing to task India’s powerful who get away with crime and corruption. Ironically it seems that to stage a successful hunger strike, it is important to be backed by considerable power. Hence an unknown 28 year old woman in Manipur continues a fast in obscurity for more than 500 weeks while a high profile, internet savvy and power backed Anna campaign can complete the fast and accomplish objectives in less than a week’s time.
Does Anna have a greater cause?
The proposed Jan Lok Pal bill is definitely revolutionary in many ways and could potentially bring about massive social reform. But there are many many schools of thought in the country which have strong reservations against the proposed bill. Infact even the Anna gang that drafted the bill seem to change it very often. For instance a slightly older version of the bill said that the selection committee for the Lok Pal would include Noble Laureates & Magsaysay awardees of Indian origin. When faced by questions regarding how Scandinavians and Filipinos could have an indirect say in selecting India’s all-powerful official, the draft of the bill was changed to exclude such awardees. There are also many other questions including how adding a complicated extra layer like the Jan Lok Pal would reduce complications and how one committee can act as both the policeman and the judge? Thus the proposed Jan Lok Pal is in no way perfect and it is not an automatic choice to warrant the scale of support that it has received. The success is again to do with the methods adopted by Anna and his supporters to publicize their cause.
Further proof of this comes from the story of 93 year old Shambhu Dutta who participated in the Quit India movement. On 30th January 2011, the 63rd death anniversary of Gandhi, Shambhu Dutta and his troupe sat on a “fast unto death” at Jantar Mantar. Their demands included the Lok Pal bill and disqualification of candidates with criminal backgrounds from contesting elections. Shambhu Dutta received negligible media coverage when he started out. What happened to his campaign we do not know but in all likelihood it merged with the more chic one established by Anna later on.
For the first six years of her protest Sharmila was under arrest in a single room in JN hospital in Imphal. In the hospital she was force fed with tubes. On being released, she would stop eating and get arrested for attempted suicide and be dumped back into the hospital. She escaped to Delhi in 2006. She camped for three days in Jantar Mantar like Anna. On the fourth day she was arrested for attempting suicide and admitted in AIIMS with tubes stuck down her nose.
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Good question, admin,
Two reasons:
a) the educated classes of India directly felt the humiliation of corruption at CWG, so there was a greater determination to support something that would affect corruption. That put a lot of pressure on the Government. Even the NE India rallied for Anna, but has not rallied for Sharmila – yet. Don’t forget that Baba Ramdev was behind this as well. He has a massive following.
b) Anna Hazare has a very long history of Gandhian approaches, hence his fast is considered more ‘legit’ than Sharmila’s.
I think this is very interesting phenomenon. Power is directly related to the number of people affected. The law is the same in both cases but its application is different. That is incorrect, for sure.
Very thought provoking article.
Sanjeev
Well said Sanjeev!
Though I can’t recollect it properly, I think I have read somewhere in the recent past about scrapping of this law – Attempt to suicide… Is it true ??
@karthik — the supreme court has recommended to the parliament that attempt to suicide should no longer be a criminal offense … however as of now it is a criminal offense under section 309 of the IPC
Thank you for the information 🙂
The law to make criminal any attempt to suicide should be removed from IPC, but there should be a law to prevent people from threatening suicide to influence others. That is, effectively, blackmail.
Hazare led movement against corruption was spearheaded by the youth of the nation and being an issue that affects common man in everyday life was bound to gain impetus. Hazare being a Padma Bhushan veteran social activist obviously attracted a larger support base. The attrocities due to AFSPA act however are confined to J&K and North-Eastern states and hence the reluctance of the ordinary citizen. I whole heartedly sympathize and support the cause of people affected by AFSPA but lets not make this a mine versus yours hunger strike issue and breed hatred against the other. Both are pressing issues that need the Government’s immediate attention and we would do more good to this country by highlighting the concerns in Manipur rather than making comparisons and trying to belittle the cause of each other.
@Anshika — We completely agree that both are pressing issues which need to be highlighted. We also understand that a Padma Bhushan winner winged by Magsaysay awardees protesting in the capital is likely to get more media coverage and exposure than an unknown girl in Manipur. However despite our best efforts we were unable to find any images of Anna being arrested or Anna with tubes stuffed down his nose. We were thus wondering if Sharmila has been protesting in some other country for the past 10 years but we can assure you that she has been in India all along and the same laws can be twisted based on the person performing the hunger strike. Hazare was successful only due to the massive propaganda surrounding his fast. Shambhu Dutta, a freedom fighter went on a hunger strike a few months before Hazare for similar reasons to Hazare. Unfortunately for Dutta he went on his fast without the media and ”well known people” ensemble. Let alone the government, hardly did a news paper cover his fast.
We have no intention of belittling Hazare or his campaign because quite frankly even if we attempt to do that the collective contemptuous gaze of India’s awoken youth would turn us to dust. We also agree with most things Anna & Co have to say but there are also many unanswered questions about their methods and the actual proposed bill which have already been brought out extensively in the media.
Anna Hazare got all that media support… We stage demonstrations, protests too… mediapersons come with their cameras and mikes, click and go. All thats seen (if we’re lucky) is a two-by-two inch frame in The Hindu on the next day. A picture of one of us students holding a placard, with a one-line caption for the reason behind the protest/demonstration. No debate, no discussion is initiated. Irom Sharmila, Dr. Binayak Sen and so many more will just remain symbols… everyone sympathises, but when we go to red fort to conduct a march… we are met with little support from the media (even though we have some well known but not very political activists with us). What is worse is when cultural shows and film screenings begin replacing active protests for their cause.
No problem of India is paid heed until and unless people like Hazare raise their voices against it and along with that they get massive support.I would like to ask a question what’s the real problem, Anna Hazare’s getting so much support for a cause like “corruption” or Sharmila’s ignorance inspite of adopting the same way of raising voice?I think it’s absolutely Sharmila’s ignorance.If anyone who was knowing this in 2000,would have tried to support her in anyway round ,by seeking and asking support from the people ,she would have been supported, may not to the same extent as Hazare was but to the extent that any next such incident like Sharmila’s,would be sufficient to provoke the people.It was not because of CWG,Adarsh Society or 2G alone but because all these scams came in light in just 12 months .Everyone is knowing and facing its outcomes in form of hunger,inflation,and endless issues,tht is why Hazare got support.
@Narendra — We feel the real problem is the double standards shown by the authorities in dealing with the same type of protest.
I never heard about Sharmila. May be its my shortcoming of not following news daily. But even then, we should have heard about it as an independent issue. Though “WahSarkar” has done a good job bringing it in light, my question is Why only now? Why do you compare it with Anna’s fast to demonstrate its importance? The lady seeks attention and sympathy of the country may be much more than in Anna’s case; but this issue could have been raised long ago. And without trying to compare it with present sort of events.
@Amrit — Sharmila’s is in no way an independent issue. The North East has been in uproar against AFSPA for years. In fact in 2005 the Jeevan Reddy Commission (set up by the central government) submitted a report saying that AFSPA should be repealed. AFSPA has caused unimaginable turmoil in the North East and J&K. More than demonstrating the importance of Sharmila’s fast, we aim to bring out this because the method employed by Sharmila is exactly the same as that employed by Anna. However there is a massive difference in the way she has been treated by the authorities as compared to how Hazare has been treated. We are only trying to discuss the reasons for this difference.
Today many parts of our contry, Indians are raising and pressing many issues that need the Government’s immediate attention but todays socalled Social Activist or workers has the full support either Rulling Parties or the Opposition. Ordinary citizen’s voice always nglected by the Government. if you have the influence or other Support like Media support then you get noticed by everyone.
Anna is supported by mass Sharmila is supported by UG
@Mukilans — It is not a question of mass but more of who is there in the mass. Maybe the ”UG” supports Sharmila. But there are scores of others as well. What is more important is that the government couldn’t care less for Sharmila because she just is not important enough for them.
@mukilans its so funny to hear your comment…you may consider reading this wikipedia article to know the reason why
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irom_Chanu_Sharmila
thanks
Hello,
I really want this woman to get her justice, something in me says she will….if we all come together . Help spread the message,JOIN THIS GROUP BY CLICKING ON THE LINK BELOW… share the group… make this a forest fire in your surrounding.
11 years of a hunger strike is not a joke…the cause needs support. Let us give it the due it deserves.
Thanking You.
Regards,
Shray Jai Mishra
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_165080983549524¬if_t=group_activity
I will make sure that this topic will not die silently,it will give results very soon….. let us just come together …i really want to see the amount of support that we can gather…let us asses our power first,how many people are ready to stand up for the cause??? Join the group below….
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_165080983549524¬if_t=group_activity
I too agree that sharmila’s fast needs support. But, Please dont undermine Anna’s cause or Jan Lok Pal. First, Have the read the draft version of the Jan Lok Pill. Actually, Jan Lok Pal will not act as a Judge. The trial process will occur as usual. Jan Lok Pill will accept complaints from common man against politicans and officials. It’s has police powers and investigate with freedom and book them, At Present, CBI cant book MPs without PM’s consent. Please read the bill, before discussing about it. Dont confuse people.
@Vivek — The Jan Lokpal draft changes very frequently. It is still under heavy scrutiny and discussion by people far more qualified than you or us. Therefore we will be unable to hold it in the same esteem as many of its patriots. Unfortunately people have been confused by certain ideas which look at the Jan Lokpal as a one stop solution for all corruption in the country. We do not subscribe to the same idea and are free to voice our opinion. We wished to compare 2 different hunger strikes and understand the reasons behind the stark differences in the way the government responded to these 2 fasts. Unfortunately we are not yet powerful enough to confuse the masses as some others are.
the bill which anna was proposing was tabled in the 4th loksabha ill just ask 1 ques 2 all the thinktanks here were u all guys sleeping for the past 40 yrs.i know a lot of media attention is given 2 anna but guys dont u think the bill is good and when it is why not support it .instead of creating a media trial.the main purpose of anna agaitation was people participation in the bill as the big eminent thinktanks were sleeping all these yrs. i m concered abt sharmila and the situation in northeast but both the issues r different. so plzz support the bill
This one bill is the best thing that ever happened to mankind. It will remove corruption from every corner in the country. All newborns will henceforth be incorruptible and India will become a superpower within 3 months of the bill being passed.
@d3eda326a2fa4315b60f5e97042aebf9:disqus
1. We do not understand the relevance of an app developer here.
2. No one is non-controversial. Even Anna Hazare has cases of corruption against him. However he may still be 1000 times more honest & capable than the average politician. The Bhushans also have plenty of skeletons in the closet according to the media. Baba Ramdev is also politically motivated.
3. If a numeric argument is to be made, there is no comparison. The number of people who go out and vote for MPs outnumbers those who support Anna by millions.
We feel that Anna Hazare and his troupe were successful because of the spectacle they created and because of the herd mentality of a lot of followers. We have thus compared this to Sharmila’s fast to show the stark differences in the attitude of the government and general public. At the end of the day this is our opinion and of course you are perfectly entitled to disagree.
I don’t think there is any requirement of dwarfing one cause for the other. Yes Irom’s cause is also bigger one, but so do the janlokpal.!!!
The overall govt. responsibiltity to luk into framing of both lokpal and pacifying of AFSPA can’t be do away with by deriding one for the other…!!! Anna was able to garner support.!!! Irom couldn’t… nonetheless, her cause is equvilant for it also concerns human rights, life and liberty.!!!
But pls no comparisons.!!
@eeb272e8281279b2c539b9c889f39469:disqus We agree that both issues are important in their own right. However while one led to nationwide hysteria, the other has been seen apathetically for more than a decade. We are exploring the reasons for this here and hence the comparison.
” THE ART OF NON VIOLENT PROTEST ”
we all have been unfair to Irom Chanu Sharmila. Even after knowing how many have even bothered to react?Anna Hazare campaign is led by a man who is not only shrewd but knows to to galvanize the situation in the country at a right time. The country is looking for laws to hang the corrupt.They are tired.
Very few people know that this movement was started by Gandhians on 30th Jan 2011 on the death anniversary of Gandhi Ji at Jantar Mantar with the demand of Janlokpal bill. Arvind Kejriwal and the team broke the slumber….of many and here we are witness to the movement.
@twitter-108684865:disqus That is true. India’s ”awoken” youth by & large couldn’t care less for innocent citizens dying in extreme corners of the country.