Sharmila: In hospital again

Imphal, March 8: Freedom didn’t last even 24 hours for Manipur’s human rights crusader Irom Sharmila Chanu.

Sharmila had walked out of the heavily-guarded security ward of Jawaharlal Nehru hospital at 5.20pm yesterday after the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate, Imphal, freed her at the end of her yearlong judicial remand.

Immediately afterwards, Sharmila went to the office of the meira paibis (women activists) in her locality, Kongpal Kongkham Leikai, to resume her hungerstrike.

The police took her into custody again at 2.30pm today, International Women’s Day, for trying to commit suicide by refusing to eat.

She was taken to the same hospital and admitted to the room she had occupied till yesterday.

Before she was taken away, Sharmila expressed her unhappiness at not being allowed to attend an International Women’s Day function at D.M. College here.

She said the police did not allow her to leave the meira paibis office. A police vehicle was parked near the venue of her hungerstrike ever since she launched the agitation last evening.

Police said she was taken into custody as her health had deteriorated.

Sharmila has been surviving on forcible nasal feed. The last time she was nose fed was at 3pm yesterday.