Irom Sharmila being honoured in Imphal on Tuesday. Picture by Eastern Projections

Imphal, March 8: After getting a recommendation for inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records for the longest hungerstrike, Manipur?s Irom Sharmila Chanu was today honoured with the title Iron Lady of Manipur on the occasion of International Women?s Day.

The honour was conferred on Sharmila by an Imphal-based rights group, the Peoples Rights Organisation, an associate of Amnesty International India, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital here.

Chief executive officer of the rights group, Munindro Waikhom, told Sharmila that his group had decided to honour her for her prolonged peaceful means of agitation to defend the rights of the people of Manipur.

The citation reads: ?Iron Lady of Manipur conferred on Irom Sharmila on the occasion of International Women?s Day in honour of her unwavering fast-unto-death agitation for the past four years, demanding lifting of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 in total from Manipur. Live life to your fullest.?

The representatives of the rights group also presented a kajenglei (a traditional decorative woman?s headgear) placed inside a glass enclosure and an innaphee (a shawl) to Sharmila during the five minutes they were allowed to meet her.

A very weak and pale Sharmila did not talk much during the conferment of the title and presentation of gifts.

?Why are you giving me all these?? was all she asked.

A group of reporters accompanied the representatives, but were not allowed to ask Sharmila any questions.

Earlier, another Imphal-based organisation, Universal Education and Wellbeing, drew the attention of officials of the Guinness Book of World Records to Sharmila's feat. They sent records, photographs and clippings of newspaper reports on Sharmila to the Guinness officials.

Sharmila began her hungerstrike in November 2000 over the death of 10 civilians in indiscriminate firing by the Assam Rifles at Malom, near Imphal airport.

Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh tried to persuade her several times to end her fast.

On August 12 last year, he himself broke the news of the withdrawal of the disturbed area status from the Imphal municipal area to her in the hospital. She, however, refused to end her fast till the armed forces act was lifted from entire Manipur. ?Why partial lifting?? she had asked.

Earlier, he had offered her the post of the chairperson of the proposed Manipur State Women's Commission. But she refused to change her stand.