Imphal, May 25: What can be the fate of a young woman forced to part with her husband at the prime of her life ? Nothing can be more bitter and heart wrecking in a woman's life than abrupt abduction of her husband never to return again.

Many a great number of young Manipuri women are subjected to such heart rending experience under the influence of some 'evil Satan'.

Though well known for their never-say-die spirit, many Manipuri woman are still hoping against hope for the return of their beloved ones.

"On the fourth day of Manipuri calendar month of Wakching of 1981, I was lulling my youngest daughter to sleep after having dinner.

Then the silence of the night was shattered by consistent and ominous barking of dogs followed by repeated knocks on the door with an evil voice calling to open the door.

Just as I opened the door, they came in and took my husband away through the back door who was at that time having his dinner.

After five days, some persons said to be CRPF personnel brought him back to my house only to be taken back.

Since then, it is only in dreams that I behold the face of my children's father.

"Even as my husband asked for water when he was brought home by the CRPF personnel, destiny willed otherwise and he could not quench his thirst as he was whisked away immediately by those men in military fatigue.

"To one CRPF personnel fluent in Manipuri, I pleaded for the life of my husband to which the Manipuri speaking CRPF personnel put his condition that he could be saved only when weapons supposedly hidden at my home was produced." Consequent upon her failure to produce the weapons, her husband was taken away never to return again.

After long years of waiting, a replica of her husband made of Pangong was cremated.

Even then the woman true to the spirit of a Manipuri woman is still hoping for the return of her beloved with the memories of the fourth day of Wakching still fresh in her mind.

In conjunction with the International Day of Disappearance, the Manipur Forward Youth Front in association with media persons took up the bold initiative to document the stories of such involuntary disappearances by going to families of the victims.

As a part of the initiative, a team of reporters along with MAFYF volunteers went to the family of one Chongtham Chaoba of Pukhao Terapur whose whereabouts is still in the dark after he was nabbed by CRPF personnel posted at Sagolmang Purun Chingjin.

The incidents narrated above are those of his wife, Chongtham Nungshitombi forsaken by destiny and humanity.

At the time when her husband was taken away by the men in uniform from her life leaving her seven children fatherless, she was at her young age of only 33 years.

All his three daughters and four sons are now under her sole care.

Depression struck her after her husband was snatched away from her and even the local villagers said that she had gone insane.

She was forced to spend many sleepless nights thinking of her 'lost' husband with her tears as the only companion and hope for a bright future for her children, recounted Nungshitombi to the media men.

The hapless mother could not educate her children except for the eldest son who has passed Matric exam.

After a prolonged legal battle for seven years with the help of some benefactors, an interim relief of Rs 1.5 lakhs was granted, she informed.

She, however, was disgusted with monetary relief and called upon all to understand the woes and bitterness felt by a woman whose husband has been made to disappear involuntarily by some invisible hands of Satan, Nungshitombi noted with dejection writ large on her face.

She further prayed that no such misfortune may ever befall any woman on Earth.

Further, the media team also talked with Luthukla of Pungdongbam whose husband Khaidem Budha was also confined for eternity after he was taken into the custody of security forces on November 6, 1983.Khaidem Budha was once a teacher of Chungthung Junior High School of Ukhrul district.

On November 6 of 1983, Budha went home for Ningol Chakkouba of her younger sister quite oblivious to the fate waiting for his arrival.

At around 11:30 pm of the day, he was picked up a troop of army personnel from the house of one Khaidem Kullachandra of Pungdongbam after which Budha just faded into history.

Luthukla was just 37 years when her husband fell into those invisible hands, she said recalling bitter days when she was pregnant with her youngest son.

Budha left behind two sons and two daughters.

On being asked of Budha's arrest at 17 AR then posted at Kangla, top officers of AR told that Budha had been handed over to the village chief of Chungthung as he was found innocent.

But when asked to the village chief, the 17 AR's response turned out to be a big lie.

"After the involuntary disappearance of my husband, his last rites were performed at a church of Chungthung village", said Lukthukla wiping out tears welling up in her lack lustre eyes.

After a protracted legal battle, a sum of Rs 25,000 was granted by State as interim relief in addition to Rs 80,000 from the Union Govt, she informed.

With loving memories of her husband and untold stories of profound anguish and despair buried deep inside her bosom, Lukthukla is fighting the battles of lives in the hope of her young children.

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