Three years after New Lamka Church firing...
AR/Army stay away from probe
Source: The Sangai Express / Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, June 09 2009: Against the back drop of the Magisterial Inquiry pronounced by the State Government three years back heading nowhere, family and friends of Thawngkhanlian, the sole victim of New Lamka's Vengnuam Church firing incident today recounted the traumatic moments they have undergone since, as they erected a memorial stone in his remembrance at YPA cemetery here.

"We are utterly surprised that the Indian Army, the perpetrators of the crime in killing our brother at Vengnuam EBC Church refused to turn-up at the hearing of the Magisterial Inquiry," an elderly relative of the decease youth said today as the memorial stone was unveiled by a Pastor.

S Thangkhanlal Ngaihte lays flowers on the memorial stone of his brother

Killed in an alleged cross-fire moments before a sacrament was served in the Church, the local Pastor at that time PH Rothuam today recalled the verses he had read out that fateful night and how he along with some Church elders refused to lie on the ground after hearing the indiscriminate firing.

"I then faced the uphill task of informing his sisters that their brother was dead.

They were literally screaming at me inquiring the whereabouts of their brother who was already dead, "he recalled.

Almost three years after the August 20, 2006 incident at the Church, Army and Assam Rifles officials have deliberately turned-down summon after summons to appear before the District Magistrate here.

The Army and Assam Rifles were served summons at least six times since 2007 but they did not bother to appear even at one point of time.

The District Magistrate, who heads the inquiry in his report to the Principal Secretary, Home on 19 November, 2007 said 28 civilians and the local police have appeared before them with necessary documents but maintained that the attitude of the Army and Assam Rifles has been totally non-cooperative.

Instead the Army/AR has intimated that their higher authorities have filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the inquiry and thus pending the decision of the Magisterial Inquiry.

The office of the Hqs 27 Sector AR in its letter dated 15/11/07 No.11530/GS(Ops)/07/1418 claimed that the Army will not be able to attend the Magisterial Inquiry in such circumstances.

But, the question remains, why not, when they can kill some one inside the Church without the sanction of the Higher Authority.

The Army top-brass will definitely not order the Army here to attack the Church.

Then why not the other way round.

Besides, Col Koj Tare in his letter dated 23rd Jan 2008 to the inquiry said there is no material/documentary evidence to be produced by them.

It is evident that the Army/AR officials have no evidence to justify their killing and hence their deliberate evasion in appearing before the inquiry.

The repeated plea of Army and AR representatives to the family members to join the force with the promise of a decent job has supplemented the Army owning up their blunder.

The Army/AR officials have approached the family on several occasions to join them and promise to arrange them a decent job, whether for a male or female member of the family.

But the family has turned-down any such offer.

A ray of hope has appeared with reliable sources claiming that the case pending with the High Court may be shifted to Imphal in a couple of weeks for hearing.

It is widely expected that the judiciary acted upon the perpetrators knowing fully well that the Army or AR personnel are not aliens but its own citizen paid to serve its citizens and not slaughtered them at the most sacred places of worship.

It is clear that the personnel involved in the crime have already been posted outside the state but the long hands of the law should drag them in and bring them to justice in order to restore the confidence of the masses on the law of the land.

(S Thawngkhanlian is the elder brother of S Thangkhanlal Ngaihte, former CCpur correspondent and columnist for The Sangai Express) .