Irom Sharmila, the world’s longest hunger-striker and a political prisoner in India, expresses gratitude for learning about the hunger-strike for release of Indian political prisoners by Bapu Surat Singh Khalsa. Khalsa began his hunger-strike on January 16, 2015 and continues it as of June 2015.

Sharmila is on hunger-strike to protest the AFSPA, a bill in India imposing martial law in various areas and granting security forces impunity for all actions. She began her hunger-strike in 2000 after 10 civilians at a bus stop in Manipur were massacred by Indian military and no charges were filed because of the AFSPA. She has been on hunger-strike for 500 weeks and has faced repeated arrests and force-feedings as a result of her activism.

Her demand is for repeal of the AFSPA.