On her first Kashmir visit, the civil rights activist, Irom Sharmila, compared stone throwing at the security forces with using eggs to smash stones. The iron lady advocated for non-violent methods of resistance.
While staying at the tourism department’s hut at the tourist reception centre here in Srinagar, the civil Irom Sharmila, wanted to know whether she could be of any help to people of Kashmir.
“I really don’t know how to help out people”, she says feebly.
As her husband Desmond Coutinho was sitting next to her, the human rights activist said she was trying to understand the situation in Kashmir. She was, however, surprised to see overwhelming support from the state government for the revocation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). “I found Chief Minister, Police heads against the AFSPA. They entirely are against this law here contrary to Manipur Chief Minister”, she says.
The AFSPA in vogue in the State since 1990 and both the mainstream and the separatist political parties are seeking its revocation.
During her four day visit, she met Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, the Cultural Minister Naeem Akhtar, the opposition NC leader Nasir Aslam Wani, senior police and civil officers. She also interacted with orphan children.
She insists that the non-violent methods of protest are better ways to resist powerful. “The non-violent methods of struggle are strong. You know during British rule, people stood against powerful British…Pelting of stone is just using eggs to smash stones. It is egg versus stone fight. It will result in more violence, hatred and degradation”, Sharmila says.
