Hunger striking activist pleads not guilty to attempted suicide Attempted suicide is a criminal offence in India punishable with imprisonment. Manipur is in turmoil and I want justice. Why does the government ignore basic human rights? There is no way I will give up my fast" she declared. The activist had her last voluntary meal on November 4, 2000, before she witnessed the killing of 10 people by army soldiers who continue to be shielded by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) from prosecution for all such acts. The victims in the shooting included a 62-year old woman and an infant. Ms Sharmila, who has been fasting while calling for the AFSPA to be scrapped in Manipur, has languished for 12 years in a dingy and secluded government hospital ward in the state capital Imphal where she is forcibly fed under police supervision. Known locally as the "Iron Lady," Ms Sharmila, who is a poet, remains confined to her hospital bed surrounded by her family and a handful of sympathisers.