After a Hmar lady from Zairon village, Jiribam was killed in an incident on November 7 and her body burnt along with the house, serious allegations was made from the Kuki-Chin about atrocities committed on the victim before her death. However, the post mortem conducted at Silchar Medical Collage and Hospital indicates an entry and exit wound on the right thigh that may have been caused by a bullet. Both left and right femur was broken into two pieces and a metallic nail was found embedded on the left thigh. The skull was found burnt and separated along the sutural edges in places.
Beside other observation, there was no ligature mark and as the body was burnt no vaginal smear could be collected. Soot particles were found adhering on the trachea. The brain was brought separately in a plastic bag in a decomposed state. The findings indicate that death was due to shock as a result of third degree mixed flame ante-mortem burns. This finding does not indicate how the brain could have been taken out before the body was burnt and if the brain is removed how can death occur due to burn? Whether the brain recovered is of human or animal was not confirmed.
The inference one can deduce from the PM report is that the victim was hit on her legs and incapacitated and when the house was set of fire she was consumed by the flame that causes her death and that the bones found broken are post-mortem including the nail lodged due to falling debris of the burning house. The only discrepancy is the brain and that need to be verified whether it is from the same person.
The retaliation came swiftly at Wathalambi near Saiton in Bishnupur District when a lady harvesting paddy was killed by sniper fire on November 09 and firing at many places in Imphal East, Imphal West and Bishnupur districts along the foothills. This killing did not whet the appetite for revenge as on the morning of November 11, a team of about 30-50 heavily armed militants made an attack on three adjacent locations of Borobekera PS, the nearby CRPF camp at Jakuradhor and inhabited areas nearby.
Borobekera PS also serve as the relief camp for those whose villages were under constant attack from the hill top, though many goes out to tend to their houses during day time and sleep in the relief camp in the night. This has been the practice as most of the attacks came in the night time. While the security personnel in the PS and the CRPF camp were pinned down by heavy fire, they killed two civilians, assaulted another two and abducted 6 women and children. The only thing that was not factored by the assailants was that one LMG mounted APC of the CRPF was out from the camp and a burst from the LMG mowed down ten assailants who died on the spot. The 10 weapons recovered from them are all sophisticated weapons including a RPG. This pointed to the fact that they are not Village Volunteers as claimed, but hard core militants.
The abduction was perhaps with intent to negotiate for demanding release of some of their cadre lodged in different jails in Manipur and various other demands. The appeal from various Kuki-Chin organisations that are in the forefront in the conflict, not to harm the abductees from a humanitarian angle was also perhaps with an eye for use as a bargaining chip. But with the mowing down of ten of their cadres, they immediately killed the 6 abductees and threw their bodies at the Jiri River.
The tragedy is that the six included an 8-month-old toddler, a 2-year-old kid and an 8-year-old kid. Their bodies have now been recovered from the Jiri/Barak Rivers from different places at different time and their bodies. The abduction of the toddler and the killing of all have hurt the conscience of all as this is nothing but an act of terrorism and there has been stringent demand for totally doing away with the SoO.
Reports claimed that the recovery of the first three bodies was made by the Assam Rifles which made people suspect whether there is some foreknowledge about the killing and the throwing of the bodies in the Jiri River. Casualty among the combatants is acceptable but abducting and killing innocents; especially women and kids is just not acceptable and people expects the government to rise up to the occasion and take stringent action. Abducting and killing innocent women and children by any side or group must be condemned by all and appropriate action taken.
After post mortem of the bodies of the 10 assailants in SMC&H, these were brought by chopper to Churachandpur, though after some drama was played in the hospital complex at Silchar but the Assam Police stood firm. All the 10 who died belong to the Hmar community and they were claimed to be from Moulvaiphei, Thenmoul, Ngurte, Valpakot and Khupuibung, and if true, none of them are local of Jiribam and had travelled quite far to operate in Jiribam and thus cannot be village volunteers but armed militants as their weapons also indicate.
Manipur Central Valley was up in arms after the recovery of the bodies and many houses of ministers and MLAs were either vandalised and/ or subjected to arson. However, the attack on some MLAs who were in the forefront in supporting the IDPs and the Village volunteers and the allegations that some of the arsonists are fully armed perhaps point to a larger game plan with someone orchestrating the show, taking advantage of the anger of the people.
The targeting of ruling MLA is understandable but why Opposition MLA who had all along been saying the right words and acting accordingly. Even some of the ruling party MLAs are doing their best to provide succour to the IDPs, though some were just unconcerned as their constituencies were unaffected. The burning of blankets meant for the IDPs, jackets for the village volunteers and the looting of materials, including edible items meant for the IDPs is unacceptable and some of the acts are perhaps meant to extract revenge for perceived wrongs done in the past and present. Some miscreants have taken advantage of the anger of the people and this does no good to the movement.
The reaction from the state government is along expected lines; blocking internet and clamping of curfew. Internet and SM can play a major role in protest as was seen in the Arab Spring Uprising but one need to realise that it has both pros and cons and rumour by mouth is having a field day. It also needs to recollect that the June 18 Uprising was when there was very limited access to internet and that too only with the government and there were no mobile phones.
When people’s anger and frustration comes to a boil, no amount of banning of internet or curfew can stop it and it can only lead to loss of lives and property. The reaction of the Central Government as usual is to send additional forces and that too for what purpose as they did precious nothing to contain the conflict till now. They are reactive without being proactive to contain the cycle of violence. Even when their men were targeted leading to the loss of lives, their reaction was so subdued. Proper redeployment and fresh instructions is urgently needed as the policy of non engagement has not yielded result.
The killing of a youth volunteer and seriously injuring another at Jiribam by police commando will only prolong the tension. The police need to understand the sentiments of the people and a time may come where the houses of those commandos come under attack; affecting their family members. In the past during this present crisis, some of them had tasted bitter fruit when their photos were circulated and that they had to apologise to the public.
The silence of the PM on the abduction and killing of the six women and children was shocking as he tweets on any occasion of unnatural deaths, whether in India or abroad. The PM had perhaps forgotten that there is a state called Manipur in India. The Jiri incident will only harden the stance and the handing over of the investigation of the killing of the Hmar lady, and the attack on the PS and CRPF camp and abduction and murder of the six to the NIA and departmental enquiry for the killing of a youth and injuring another cannot calm the tension. The opposition to the re-imposition of AFSPA to the jurisdiction of six PSs will only increase. Further, the resignation of the mandal committee of the main ruling party in Jiribam may be the harbinger of similar acts in other parts of the state.
(The views expressed are personal)
