Irom Chanu Sharmila

A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (April 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Irom Chanu Sharmila
Irom Sharmila at a reception given by Solidarity Youth Movement to her in Kozhikode
Born	(1972-03-14) 14 March 1972 (age 52) Kongpal, Imphal, Manipur, India
Nationality	Indian
Occupation(s)	Civil rights activist, political activist, poet
Known for	Hunger strike against Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act
Spouse	Desmond Anthony Bellarnine Coutinho ​ ​ (m. 2017)​
Children	Nix Shakhi and Autumn Tara
Parent(s)	Irom c Nanda (father) Irom Ongbi Sakhi (mother)
Awards	Gwangju Prize for Human Rights

Irom Chanu Sharmila (born 14 March 1972), also known as the "Iron Lady of Manipur" or "Mengoubi" ("the fair one")^[1] is an Indian civil rights activist, political activist, and poet from the Indian state of Manipur, which is located on the north-eastern side of India. In November 2000, she began a hunger strike for abolishing the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958. After 16 years, she ended her fast in 2016, after being nasally force-fed for over 500 weeks in custody. Therefore, she has been viewed as the world's longest hunger striker. Amnesty International has declared her as a prisoner of conscience.