Over 70 activists, owing allegiance to the Committee for Release of Binayak Sen, on Saturday demonstrated against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) that has been in operation in Manipur since 1980. The protest also marked the beginning of the 10th year of Irom Chanu Sharmila’s hunger strike demanding the repeal of the Act.

The Manipur police had arrested Sharmila on November 6, 2000 and inserted a plastic tube into her nose to force-feed her on November 21 the same year. She has since been force-fed a cocktail of vitamins, minerals, laxatives, protein supplements and lentil soup through her nose.

“We are a group of individuals fighting for the democratic rights of all Indians. Manipur is an integral part of India and therefore we want to make people aware of the atrocities there,” said Sanober Keshwar, a Mumbai-based activist and committee member.

“We want to exploit the rich oil resources of Assam but the government doesn’t want to build any infrastructure there,” said Lena Ganesh who led the protest.

Women’s organisations in Manipur have been on a relay hunger strike since December 2008 in support of Sharmila. According to them, the Act allows anyone of any rank in the Army or a paramilitary force under its operational command to shoot, arrest or search anyone without warrant.

The government had, meanwhile, repealed the Act in parts of urban Manipur, but Sharmila has been demanding a complete repeal.