Do not let Loitam Richard die in vain

M Bomcha *

Loitam Richard

Before coming to my prayer to the government, I ask our civil society or is it societies – is it not an issue serious enough for doing something more than the JAC formed by the locality of the deceased ?

As I write this, the culprit (s) behind the murder of Loitam Richard may already been behind bars. Judging by the available information on the killing, the perpetrators deserve much more than that. Criminals of such ruthlessness need to be hanged. And the matter should not end here.

The murder of Loitam Richard is just a pointer to the reality of how students (people) from the North East are treated elsewhere. Particularly, young females who are on some academic or professional pursuits.

Narrowing down to the case in point, it seemingly is a farfetched idea to link the death to a 2 wheeler accident a few days back. Personally, as I think more and ponder the possibilities, the theory of the Superintendent of Police, Bangalaru seems less and less plausible.

If I am right, it was a simple murder, a brutal murder at that. Howsoever grave the provocation might have been, bludgeoning a human being to death is simply unpardonable.

A punch on the face does not cause such fatal injuries unless delivered by an expert. But we do not hear of any involvement of professional hit man. It is not rarest of the rare to kill someone for a provocation as trifle as changing of a TV channel. Hang the Killer.

Before coming to my prayer to the government, I ask our civil society or is it societies - is it not an issue serious enough for doing something more than the JAC formed by the locality of the deceased? Many Manipuris die every day. Some of them outside Manipur sometimes.

Death after all, is one of the foremost truths of life. But was the death of Loitam Richard a common phenomenon and were the circumstances normal? Is it not an occasion grave enough for us to collectively raise our voice? I think it is. Equally heinous crimes have taken place in the past; if we are equally indifferent this time too, such injustice beyond the pale of humanity will occur again.

The honorable Home Minister has written a strongly worded letter to his Karnataka counterpart. The Minister can do more than that. Why don't he speak to his counterpart? And ask someone to follow up on a daily basis.

What about sending an emissary to Bangalaru? Also to issue updates to the press so that we know that the government cares. We know, governance is a serious matter and things take time. So is an autopsy report, by the way. And our naughty public memory is short.

Imagine killing an American on a foreign soil. They will move heaven and hell. Hold your sneer; why we can't we do better than the Americans sometimes? Golda Meir hunted down the 'Black September' perpetrators to the last one and eliminated all of them. We know, we don't have a Mossad and can't do a la Munich hunter.

But our sentiments and sense of justice are no less than any people in the world. Let us also remember the Chopra siblings. Geeta and Sanjay, were killed at Budha Jayanti Park in New Delhi many years back by some rapist killers.

I take pride in the wisdom of the central government in instituting a bravery award after the name of the victims, thereby sending a loud signal that it cares. It also reminds us of the brother and sister, if not the crime. Our own government so fecund in finding lucrative projects can think better.

Narayan Krishnamurtty, the founder of Inofsys once said in an interview that a clear conscience is the best pillow for a good night's sleep. Conscience does not relate only to morality and integrity. A satisfaction that one has done his duty to earn the tax payer's money he gets as salary is also good conscience.

On the hindsight; has the IRB gone Jessami? Are we doing enough to protect our land? Enough of fumbling with the problem of plenty. There are issues galore, more important than handing the matrix of cabinet formation. Choose fearlessly and chuck the rest, after all we don't have much choice.

Here are opportunities to do something good. Otherwise it will be a litany of missed chances. Please act now and sleep well Messrs Ministers.