Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 19:
'Millennium Boy Returns Home Blind.' This may sounds like the title of a movie.
But it is, in fact, the theme under which a protest march cum session was organised today recalling the heartrending tales of a young boy who lost the sight of his right eye and two other young victims who have not be able to reconcile with their lives after the terrible bomb blast at Ngarian.
The young boy, lovingly named Millennium Boy by his parents since he was born on January 1, 2000 was playing along with two other friends, namely Kh Ibomcha Meitei and Lungaisinliu on that fateful day of December 29 when a bomb exploded near the community hall of Ngarian village in Henglep sub-divisions of Churachandpur district.
Both the legs of Ibomcha were blown off in the powerful blast and later succumbed to the injuries at the hospital.
Though Millennium Boy survived his life he has lost the sight of his right eye forever and the injuries suffered has made him so infirm that he can not stand on his own feet till date.
While his younger sister, 3-year old Daina who witnessed the gruesome incident from a close quarter has been experiencing nightmare and living in a state of fear psychosis ever since that day.
She is afraid to stay even along with her parents at the village and has been living with his granny at Chinikon.
To protest the failure of the Government to pay compensation to the families of the young victims, the Wakat Khongchat (protest march) was taken out from Ngarian to Bishnupur and the Wakat Meepham (protest session ) staged at Thaningkhun.
A large number of people took part in the protest demonstration organised under the aegis of Rongmei Lu Phuam (Rongmei Women's Organisation), Assam, Manipur and Nagaland with the support of Human Rights Alert.
The demonstrators carried placards with slogans denouncing the attitude of the Government.
Addressing the gathering before flagging off the protest march, human rights activist Aram Pamei said the bomb blast at Ngarian whether it was triggered off by underground activists or by security forces was an act of terrorism that should be condemned in the strongest term by all the people.
Pamei also decried the attitude of a Bishnupur police officer who allegedly asked for paying Rs 1000 from Katangampou Pamei, the father of Millennium Boy, when he went to request for compensation.
As Katangampou did not have the amount demanded, he paid Rs 200 to the corrupt police officer, she added.




