IMPHAL: Irom Sharmila — who has been observing a fast-unto-death since November 4, 2000, demanding the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act — was given the Rabindranath Tagore Award-2010 on Saturday.
The award, instituted by the Indian Institute of Planning and Management (IIPM), carries Rs.51 lakh in cash, a gold medal, a citation and a shawl.
The IIPM conferred the award on 16 people at a function in Kolkata on August 30. As the bed-ridden Sharmila could not go there, IIPM chairman M.K. Choudhury, Registrar Ratna Choudhury and Dean Tarun Bose came to the J.N. Hospital here to hand over the award to Ms. Sharmila.
Mr. Choudhury said: "Ms. Sharmila is a unique lady of the country. We are conferring the award [on her] in recognition of her determination and courage in her quest for peace. Her struggle and patience will inspire the students of my institute."
Ms. Sharmila, who won several prestigious awards in India and abroad, including South Korea's Gwangju Human Rights Award, said the money would be given to an organisation fighting human rights violations and terrorism.
Menghaobi" Irom Sharmila Chanu (born March 14, 1972), also known as the Iron Lady of Manipur, is a civil rights activist, political activist, journalist and poet from the Indian state of Manipur. Since November 4, 2000, she's been on a political fast demanding the Government of India to withdraw the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, also otherwise known as AFSPA, from Manipur and other areas of India's north east.
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