Exhibition held in support of activist Irom Sharmila

Thirteen flags will flutter outside the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Kala Ghoda on Friday, marking support for activist Irom Sharmila on the eve of Human Rights Day.

Thirteen flags will flutter outside the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA) in Kala Ghoda on Friday, marking support for activist Irom Sharmila on the eve of Human Rights Day.

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The flags, designed by artists from across the country, including Nalini Malani, Tushar Joag and Sharmila Samant aim to draw attention to Sharmila’s 11-year long fast to repeal Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in force in Manipur.

The NGMA will also host a panel discussion, film screenings and an exhibition followed by a candlelight march, which will mark the culmination of the Save Sharmila Solidarity Campaign, which has been rolling through the city since October 2.

“We have been trying to make people aware of Sharmila’s efforts,” said Sharmila Samant, an artist in solidarity with the Mumbai chapter of the campaign. Samant’s flag depicts the mouth of a carnivore with the seven North Eastern states locked inside it.

Over the past month 20 organisations have come together to raise awareness about Sharmila’s struggle. They have been performing plays, distributing banners and booklets and collecting signatures as part of the campaign.