Irom Sharmila, political and human rights activist, has called for fighting for the victory of the culture of life over the culture of death.
Speaking at a conference called by the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church on the occasion of World Suicide Prevention Day, Ms Sharmila said that although she was imprisoned for over 16 years on the charge of attempt to commit suicide, her struggle, then and now, was “for the victory of a culture of life over the culture of death. I was never suicidal,” she said
Affirming the culture of life means more than opposing suicide, she said, “it must mean that we will all struggle to achieve a fairer more equitable society where all humanity is welcomed and given their opportunity to partake in the fullness of life socially, economically, politically and where they can choose their own religious faith. The simple message of this day is to help provide all those at the brink especially the young with a loving environment where they can share their feelings, fears and distress without being judged.”Those who condemn suicide because it celebrates the culture of death must also condemn the death penalty. How can it be just for a government to order that a fellow human being be chained and detained in a small room and after years of torment to order the execution of fellow human.
How can it be just for the Government to announce that they will expel up to 40,000 Rohingya Muslims from India. Finally those who recognize suicide as a tragic form of evil must also condemn the draconian colonial law, AFSPA, which attempts to decriminalize rape and murder and the suicides of those young girls who could not bear to exist after the trauma of being legally raped by soldiers, Ms. Sharmila said.
Inaugurating the conference, Catholicos and Malankara Metropolitan Baselius Mar Thoma Paulose II the Supreme head of the church said society has a great role to play in the battle for suicide prevention. Calling Ms. Sharmila as a one person battalion against the culture of violence, the Catholicos said she had taken her message across the globe.
