Arambam Robita, editor of a monthly magazine here, has been unable to carry on the fast she started on Saturday following in the footsteps of Irom Sharmila, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.
On Sunday, she reached the border district of Ukhrul to continue the fast as she got no support in and around the capital. However, in the afternoon, two of her staffers in the magazine came to take her away. On Saturday, the police did not allow her to continue the fast near the Manipur University gate as prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure is in force. Later, in the night, she went to Imphal east district. But women activists prevented her from undertaking the fast at several places after which she returned home without fanfare and then slipped away.
Khetrimayum Memton, vice-president of Salai Apunba Nupi Lamjing Lup, a women’s organisation, said: “Apart from the reservations of her husband, Arambam Hera, she has two minor daughters. It [The fast] will amount to exterminating the family and we shall never support her.”
Similar views were expressed by other women activists. Soon after her arrival at Ukhrul, an unofficial meeting was arranged by some activists at the Town Hall. She told them that after Sharmila, she had planned to go on the fast since AFSPA was very much in Manipur.
When Ms. Sharmila ended her fast on August 9, several non-governmental organisations and school students took out processions demanding lifting of the AFSPA from the hill districts. It was lifted from seven Assembly segments in the Imphal municipal areas from August 12, 2004.
Robita told the activists that she would go to other hill districts to explain her mission.
