By Annie George
It was six years back, I underwent a traumatic brain shock shaking my inner soul with all energy sapping incident which creates horror in me when I am in seclusion and recollect the sight of my husband's dead body recovered from Dimapur-a death caused by the friends of my husband who used to sit with them and interact with them to persuade them to come to the right path since they were on other side of the society and were indulging in inhuman activities, grotesque activities, killing among themselves, conducting extortion, looting the public, molesting families travelling in night buses at gun point all this while operating under the garb and cover of functioning under ceasefire with Security Forces & State Administration but not amongst factions. Sympathisers of either factions and common man were on the receiving end.
He was a Captain in the Army and then posted at Zakhama with the Assam Rifles. He used to talk many times why cadres of NSCN (IM) punished NSCN (K) workers (All Angamis) seven of them killed in one go by torturing them. Perhaps that was the reason Nagaland Mothers Association and Church authorities prevailed on unlawfuls to mend their affairs, Government was prevailed upon to open Women Commission. The Women revolutionised the idea against tortures, rapes and brutalities. Although there is still a long way to go, things have improved and as on today, Societies of Nagaland deserve appreciations. They are sharing my woes also since I am a widow and do not allow me to go back to my native State.
But what pains me is the lawlessness, rather NO rule, no human mind functioning in my neighbourhood's Court yard (Manipur). They have also got Women Commission lately established though, many women Lups, Apunba Lup, Students Organisation (eight compared to one in Nagaland) and Social Clubs more than the number of Leikais the State is holding (including 800 registered), Meira Paibies who could bend the British administration to act with justice are quiet on atrocities, brutalities almost routinely committed on friends there by various insurgent groups. In the last four years 22 rape cases, mutilating in some victims bodies before killing have happened as per reports appeared in Media. Most shocking is the recent murder of Angom Ongbi Chanbi a widow and her daughter Meneka of Phayeng. In other societies widows are attended to with sympathy and concern and village authorities extend all possible assistance to facilitate their kids to grow well. But what happened to Manipur? Mother and daughter missing since 12/13 Jan and police or village authorities coming to learn about the disappearance on 23 Jan which is 10 days after the incident ie till foul smell got over to the environment. A Class IX Student Meneka missing from school also did not arouse interest in her classmates to find out reason of her not coming to school. Student organisations kept quite and showed no concern unlike they showed in case of death of a non student Sanjit but an ex UG killed on 23/7. What is wrong with the social organisations there? or they act as integrated sympathiser organisations of UGs only. Inhuman murders of innocent girls like Meneka, Lungnila Elizabeth, and Miss Boici Haokip, Mrs Shanti and many other helpless women, panchayat functionaries and so on must be taken as a challenge and all CSOs, State organisations-a challenge to be fought with full vigour and mite. Manipur is known world over for their rich culture and heritage where women had always been respected and well cared for. That was one of the States where modesty of a girl/woman was never disturbed.
It should now be a matter of concern to take all measures to eradicate this menace. As a teacher, I implore if a moral science chapter to be included in our school syllabus to inculcate a sense of ethnical obligation to moderate the untamed waylaying minds to respect parents, elders, teachers and uphold laws of the Land and Nature to make life on planet mother earth a livable & pleasant one. To end with, I express my deep sympathies with three innocent kids left behind bereft of love and aghast under this blue sky and hope the State will do everything at its disposal to attend to these children as State adoption and punish the culprits under law. It must be made clear to the UGs (if they are involved) that this nature of heinous and degrading acts do not add to their bravery on a revolutionary path which they have undertaken. I also wonder how media followed on recovering of two rifles by UG group and the security Forces counter claimers on 12th Jan and same night Chater & Meneka were taken from her home leaving behind three young kids with their grandfather; If it has any connection with 'not seen' visibility of the case. This torture given to the mother & daughter will go unpardonable in the annals of civilization historical page of Manipur history.
This article was published on The Sangai Express