Who is Irom Chanu Sharmila? Is she a human rights activist? Is she a political prisoner? Is she a prolific poet? Is she a symbol of hope for the people of Manipur? Incarcerated like a petty criminal in a jail ward in a Manipur hospital, isolated by the State through a posse of policemen at her door, she is all this and much more. Despite coverage in the media, numerous awareness campaigns and valiant efforts by supporters and activists, most people still know her only as 'the lady with a tube in her nose'. Since the year 2000, Irom Sharmila has remained steadfast in her determination to not eat or drink anything. She cleans her teeth with dry cotton and her lips with spirit so as not to sully her fast. Her body is wasted inside. Her menstrual cycles have stopped.