Stop fake encounters : Lup
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 03 2009: Observing that the report published by Tehelka on the July 23 BT Road incident along with graphic details, corroborated by a dozen photographs, have clearly proved that the incident was a pure case of fake encounter, the Apunba Lup asserted that the people have started suspecting the claims of the State and security forces about 'killings in encounters'.

People now have strong suspicion that many of the past cases of 'killings in encounters' would have been fake encounters, noted the Working Committee of the Apunba Lup.

A cartoon from Hijam Satya of TSE

While Satish from Singjamei was killed by security forces in a fake encounter, Megha from Kakwa Naorem Leikai was lucky enough to be freed before a fake encounter could be staged, the Aunba Lup recalled.

Now the situation has come to such a pass that people cannot keep the number of persons killed in fake encounters by State armed forces.

Hardly a few days pass by without witnessing a fake encounter or two.

Although Rabina and Sanjit would never come back to tell the facts, Tehelka has proved beyond any doubt that police commandos, police officers who tried to conceal the truth and Chief Minister O Ibobi, who managed to convince Opposition members in the State Assembly and went on to say that "there is no other option than to kill" have their hands in the twin killing, the Apunba Lup alleged.

Over the last 50 years or so, the people of Manipur have been fighting against the atrocities and excesses committed by Central forces as well as against the draconian Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 .

All these years, the victimised people have been undertaking massive and launching mass civil movements.

To save themselves and their rights, the people of Manipur, which have been literally turned into a killing field, have been continuously carrying on a 'human rights movement', the Apunba Lup observed.

For the past many years, the people of both the hills and valley have been at the receiving hand of security forces' atrocities, detentions and killings.

In addition, there have been several cases of massacres where people were gunned down in groups while many others have been crippled for life.

The chastity of many women have been violated.

In the process of the Government of India's 'military campaign' thousands of live have been lost while the living population have been submerged into a chronic fear psychosis, noted the Apunba Lup.

The prevailing situation is such that any one can get killed or suffer atrocities any moment, anywhere.

The people of Manipur are not entitled to the right to live enshrined and guaranteed by the constitution of India to its citizens.

"Had the people of Manipur been given the right to life, there is no reason for us to worry so grievously" the Lup lamented.

Leave apart the Government of India, the so called people's representatives, who came to the people with begging bowls at the time of elections and climbed up to the pedestal of power with their own people serving as ladder, have started threatening the same people who elected them.

It was because of their patronage that the central armed forces and state police commandos went on killing/torturing innocent people and violating the chastity of women.

These trigger-happy and sadist security personnel have muddied the reputation of all other commandos, police personnel and other security forces who are otherwise discharging their duties sincerely, the Apunba Lup asserted.

Manipur now represents a fitting case of state terrorism characterised by internecine killings, fake encounters, illegal detention, custodial killings, extra judicial killings etc, it alleged.

Magisterial enquiry, judicial enquiry or enquiries of other sorts have been one common tactics employed by the State to pacify and neutralise any forceful civil movement, the Apunba Lup observed that hundreds of such enquiries have been kept under wrap for eternity while the guilty personnel were often condoned.

As such, people know these enquiries are nothing but hogwash and they do not have any faith in any form of enquiry, the Apunba Lup asserted.

Raising serious apprehension that Manipuri nation may disappear from the Earth in case the continuing cases of fake encounters and atrocities are not checked, the Apunba Lup called upon the people to fight collectively against the state excesses.