Kejriwal, Akhil to visit Manipur on October 24

RALEGAN SIDHI: Anti-graft campaigner Anna Hazare have asked team members Arvind Kejariwal and Akhil Gogoi to study the humanitarian crisis besetting Manipur in the face of the intensified-economic blockade on the national highways for redressal.

Taking serious note of the crisis, the Gandhian even assured to visit to the state personally if required. "If the situation worsens, I'll visit Manipur and do the needful to end the chocking of key supply routes by pressurizing Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," Anna told a team from Manipur at his Ralegan Sidhi ashram-cum-residence here, about 60 kilometers from Pune, on Saturday.

Kejariwal , who paid a visit to Pune to discuss various issues with Anna on Saturday, said he, along with Akhil, will arrive in Manipur on October 24. "After assessing the whole situation prevailing in the state, we will furnish our report to Annaji," said Kejariwal, minutes before he left for the national capital.

In pursuit of its decades old demand to create Sadar Hills district, the self-explanatory Sadar Hills Districthood Demand Committee (SHDDC) has been imposing economic blockades on the Imphal-Silchar and Imphal-Dimpur routes since August 1. The United Naga Council (UNC) has also been calling a similar stir on the same routes to denounce the state government's alleged bid to bifurcate Naga-dominated areas for creating new districts.

"The crisis should be resolved at the earliest so that the people of Manipur get rid of their sufferings ahead of the coming festivals such as Ningol Chakouba, Diwali, Kut and Christmas," the anti-corruption campaigner said.

Anna's commitment came after senior journalist B B Sharma , social worker Jeevan A Ningthou, advocate Salam Rupachandra and another scribe gave a first-hand report on Manipur to him. While Sharma is the team leader, Jeevan is its coordinator. The state team's visit was sponsored by Sarhad, a Pune-based NGO, working for the betterment of the people of border states.

Sarhad's founder-president Sanjay Nahar and founder-member Yuvaraj Shah said they first raised the Manipur issue with Anna a few days ago after which the Gandhian immediately took up the matter.

"After Annaji assured to take up the matter, we requested the team from Manipur to give an initial report on the current situation to both Team Anna and Sarhad," said Sanjay. He added that besides Kejariwal and Akhil, other members may also accompany the duo in their Manipur visit.

Hazare’s campaign a lesson for Sharmila supporters

Imphal: Supporters of Manipur’s ‘Iron Lady’ Irom Sharmila, who has been on hunger strike for the last 11 years demanding withdrawal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from the state, are inspired by how Anna Hazare steered his anti-corruption campaign to success by fasting for only 12 days.

“It has been an inspiration for us. We have realised that if our movement is more organised and we manage to garner a pan-India support, the government would be bound to listen to us,”  said Sharmila’s long-time associate Babloo Loitongbam.

However, Loitongbam admitted that theirs is a much more difficult fight than Hazare’s.

Sharmila’s elder brother Irom Singhajit, who has now turned into a human rights activist, also admitted that their struggle against the ‘draconian’ AFSPA has got new motivation from Hazare’s crusade against corruption.

“His movement shows that Parliament also listens to the voice of people. So this is the right time to strengthen ourselves and make our voices heard,” he said.

Irom Sharmila supporters are hoping the media and the government will pay more attention to their cause, thanks to Anna's campaign.

 Reuters Singhajit said they have realised is that there must be a political platform to voice concern about the AFSPA. However, he clarified, “That doesn’t mean we will support any particular political party.”

Babloo, who leads Manipur’s Human Rights Alert and the Just Peace Foundation, said they are looking to broaden their support base.

“We need to solicit support from all progressive forces and civil society groups all over the country. And then, we need to form a lobby within the government. Using all of them we have to communicate that removing the AFSPA will help the growth of India’s democracy,” the activist said.

Now, the biggest challenge before them is to run an aggressive and unrelenting anti-AFSPA campaign in the national capital just the way Hazare did, Babloo said.

“We are sitting here in Manipur, which is far from Delhi. That is why we are ignored. For us, having a sustained campaigning in Delhi is difficult but very important. We are trying to do that through our supporters there in Delhi,” he said.

While fasting in Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan for 12 days, Hazare had made the entire nation come to a standstill following which Parliament decided to consider a strong Lokpal bill.

Sharmila, on the other hand, is fighting a lone battle in an isolated ward of the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital in Imphal city. She has been forcibly nose-fed for the last 11 years.

In Delhi, Sharmila’s supporters from various civil societies like the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), Asha Parivar, Chetna Kendra, etc. have joined hands and are campaigning with renewed vigour.

Her supporters are happy that after Hazare’s movement, suddenly the media, intellectuals and even the government has started discussing the issue afresh.

Even former Union home secretary G K Pillai had recently remarked that Sharmila’s efforts were not appreciated by the rest of India till Hazare sat on a fast.