'Irom Sharmila's wedding in Kodaikanal will disrupt peace of the city'
- The marriage of Irom Sharmila and Desmond Coutinho is scheduled for August 16.
- Irom had submitted her documents for marriage at the sub-registrar's office on July 12.
- She also pledged her support to Divya, whose film on the failure to implement the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, has put the government of Tamil Nadu and India in a fix.
FollowRenowned activist Irom Sharmila's marriage to partner, British national Desmond Coutinho, in Kodaikanal has hit high grounds as righ wing party- Hindu Makkal Katchi- has filed a petition saying that the marriage can ruin the peace and tranquility of the city. Sharmila and her partner moved to the tourist town after she suffered a defeat in the Manipur Assembly elections last year.
Meanwhile, the activist has refused to budge from the town saying that it is beyond her comprehension how the private life of a person can ruin the peace and tranquility of the town. Sharmila also declared that controversial documentary filmmaker Divya Bharti will be her bridesmaid.
Irom had submitted her documents for marriage at the sub-registrar's office on July 12 and is scheduled to be married next week under the Special Marriage Act. According to the Act, the couple need to serve a 30-day notice period before getting married. Addressing the media on the sidelines of a seminar on freedom of expression in support of Divya Bharati, she said, "I don’t know why they are scared about us getting married. It is a private life of two persons. Whether we are getting married or not, we will live together in the house in Kodaikanal. I don’t know what kind of threat a marriage of two persons could pose to the beautiful State."
She also pledged her support to Divya, whose film on the failure to implement the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act 2013, has put the government of Tamil Nadu and India in a fix. She said, "I will stand by Divya; I hope you will do the same. I invite Divya to stand beside me at my wedding next week. At this moment, I cannot think of a finer garland than the end of caste slavery."
Inciddentally, the Madurai Police has registered two separate cases under two sections of IPC against Divya for encouraging enimity between two different groups on grounds of religion, race, etc and for promoting hatred among communities. In fact, Puthiya Thamilagam has also filed a complaint against the dcumentary film maker alleging that she had wrongly projected members of the Pallar caste indulging in manual scavenging. The filmmaker is said to be subjected to immense harassment, death threats and misogyny online.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the Hindu, Irom Sharmila also claimed that the three witnesses for the inter-religious marriage have been threatened. Sharmila said that she would not be cowed down by threats and said, "We are all mortals. I am not bothered by life and death. I will sacrifice my life for the sake of humanity." She also highlighted how Tamil Nadu is ridden by caste lines, which has been rightfully showcased in Bharathi's controversial documentary film Kakkoos.
