Common future, peaceful co-existence and restoration of pre-merger political status of Manipur
- Part 6 -

Dr Khomdon Lisam *

Mass Rally for the common future of Manipur from THAU Ground to Khuman Lampak on 6 February 2016 :: Pix - Deepak OInam

Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA)-1958

The British imperialists enacted the inhuman Armed Forces Special Ordinance in 1942 to crush the Indian freedom movement. The democratic India enacted a much more heinous version called the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) on 22 May,1958.

-According to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), in an area that is proclaimed as "disturbed", an officer of the armed forces has powers to – fire upon or use other kinds of force even if it causes death, against the person who is acting against law or order in the disturbed area for the maintenance of public order, to arrest without a warrant anyone who has committed cognizable offences or is reasonably suspected of having done so and may use force if needed for the arrest, destroy any arms dump, hide-outs, prepared or fortified position or shelter or training camp from which armed attacks are made by the armed volunteers or armed gangs or absconders wanted for any offence, to enter and search any premise in order to make such arrests, or to recover any person wrongfully restrained or any arms, ammunition or explosive substances and seize it, stop and search any vehicle or vessel reasonably suspected to be carrying such person or weapons, any person arrested and taken into custody under this Act shall be made present over to the officer in charge of the nearest police station with least possible delay, together with a report of the circumstances occasioning the arrest,

-Army officers have legal immunity for their actions. There can be no prosecution, suit or any other legal proceeding against anyone acting under that law. Nor is the government's judgment on why an area is found to be disturbed subject to judicial review.

-Protection of persons acting in good faith under this Act from prosecution, suit or other legal proceedings, except with the sanction of the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by this Act.

The AFSPA is the mother of all black laws in India . When the Act was legislated in 1958 to 'combat' insurgency there was only the Naga movement in the north-east. Over the last 57 years, the Act has been in force, it has only contributed to the rise of more and more insurgent outfits in the region. While parliamentary democracy requires the army to be kept away from the tasks of internal policing and administration, the AFSPA virtually introduces military rule in a democratic garb. Manipur alone has witnessed a series of massacres and 'disappearances'. The Army itself says that till date it has had to punish 66 of its men in the north-east as they were found guilty of excesses even though it asserts that only 25 of the 451complaints received were found valid in its internal scrutiny. (Manipur Burning -Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and Centre's Apathy -– Krishna Singh T).

People are asking a simple question to the Hon'ble Prime Minister and the Hon'ble Home Minister of India – why don't they imposed AFSPA-1958 in Maoist/Naxalites affected states like Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh states. In 2006, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called the Naxalites the "single biggest internal security challenge ever faced by our country". In June 2011, he said, "Development is the master remedy to win over people" adding that the government was "strengthening the development work in the 60 Maoist-affected districts.

Do they think that the lives of Manipuris are worthless? Immediately after the Malom massacre, one lady called Irom Sharmila has been fasting and on nose feeding for the last fifteen years with a demand for repealing this draconian Act called Armed Forces Special Power Act-1958 (AFSPA) in this land of Gandhiji. The longest fast of Mahatma Gandiji was 21 days. Why was the entire India was shaken when Anna Hazare fasted only for 4-5 five days and there is a deafening silence in India when Irom Sharmila fasted for 15 years? Is it the Indian style of democracy? The Government of India must be thinking that we, Manipuris are expendables.

AFSPA and unsolved massacres in Manipur

One of the earlier massacres by the forces of the Indian Union was the Heirangoithong massacre in outskirts of Imphal on 14 March 1984, at the Heirangoithong Volleyball Ground following indiscriminate firing by the CRPF personnel stationed nearby resulting in the death of thirteen persons and injuring thirty-one.

The tragic incident that attracted international condemnation was "Operation Bluebird" a months-long protracted counterinsurgency operation in 30 villages in the northern Senapati district of Manipur between July and October 1987 conducted by the Assam Rifles. 15 villagers were killed, women raped. The rebels killed nine soldiers and escaped with 150 guns and 125,000 rounds of ammunition.

Tera Bazar Massacre: 25 March, 1993: Unidentified youth shot at CRPF personnel at Tera Keithel, Imphal which killed 2 CRPF men. Thereafter, the CRPF personnel rushed out and fired indiscriminately. Five civilians were killed and many others received bullet injuries. However, no enquiry has been instituted till date.

In the morning of 7 January 1995, another incident of the extrajudicial execution of nine civilians by the CRPF in Imphal City within the campus of the Regional Medical College (RMC) now renamed as the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). As soon as the firing took place, the CRPF personnel reportedly shouted 'hamara admi ko mara, sab Manipuri ko maro'.

Malom Massacre: 2 November, 2000: Assam Rifles convoy was attacked near Malom, Manipur by insurgents. In retaliation, the troops shot at civilians at a nearby bus-stop leaving 10 civilians dead, including a 60 year old woman and a boy who had been awarded the bravery award by the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. A brutal combing operation followed. Irom Sharmila's fast-to-death began in the aftermath of this incident.

The massacre at Tabanglong in Western Tamenglong District on 28 December 2000 resulted in the death of eight (8) villagers when they were attacked by soldiers belonging to the 15th Jat Regiment, a military regiment of the Indian army.

Several other massacres are – Oinam Leikai massacre on 21 November, 1980, Ukhrul massacre on 9 May, 1995, Bashikhong massacre on 19 February, 1995, Churachandpur massacre on 21 July, 1999, Nungleiban massacre on 15 October, 1997, Tabokpikhong massacre on 12 August, 1997, Tonsen Lamkhai massacre on September 3, 2000.

These few examples of military massacres only serve to illustrate the fact that, for many years in Manipur, the armed forces belonging to the Indian Union have been killing local civilians arbitrarily by using force inconsistent to the principle of absolute necessity and proportion, in violation of human rights.

Manipur's Representation in Indian Parliament

The number of Lok Sabha MPs for Manipur is not viable- The number of Lok Sabha seats for Manipur is only two whereas for UP, it is 80. No MP from Manipur will be able to become the Prime Minister or President even if he is Lord Krishna or Jesus Christ or prophet Muhammad. We find that for a small population hardly two lakhs of Anglo-Indians, Nehru had put the number of Lok Sabha MPs as two. (To be contd)

Considering the Indian Constitution, can any Manipuri become the Prime Minster of India in the next 500 years.

The number of Lok Sabha MPs for Manipur should be a least eight.

There is no balanced representation of states in the Rajya Sabha (Council of States). The number of Rajya Sabha seats for Manipur is only one whereas for UP, it is 31. Rajya Sabha is the Council of States.

There should be balanced and equal representation of States – big or small as done in many countries of the world including USA. The number of Rajya Sabha MPs for Manipur should be at least seven.

Possible Common Future and peaceful co-existence for all ethnic groups in Manipur

While in India, we run the risk of being reduced to microscopic minority.

While in India, we run the risk of losing our identity, our land, our language, our culture, our traditions, our resources by following the Indian constitution, no Manipuri will be able to become the Prime Minister of India in the next 500 years.

Considering the proud history of Manipur as a Sovereign Kingdom for more than 2000 years, recognizing the series of blunders the Government of India has committed against Manipur during the last 66 years, recognizing the need for having communal harmony, peaceful coexistence and recognizing the various demands of the ethnic groups, the people of Manipur should assert that the Government of India may grant "RESTORATION OF PRE-MERGER STATUS OF MANIPUR" without further delay.

All ethnic groups should be united as one person and assert for "Restoration of pre-merger status of Manipur".

We should have a common vision, common goal, common language and common strategy. When there is no vision, the people perish.

The PRE-MERGER POLITICAL STATUS OF MANIPUR may consist of the following components :-

1.Separate constitution
2. Separate Parliament
3. Separate Flag (Pakhangba Flag).
4. Separate Prime Minister
5. Separate Supreme Court
6. Separate Administrative System
7. Separate Legal System
8. Separate Passport
9. Separate Currency
10. Joint Defence system
11 Joint External Affairs
12. Permanent Representative to UN
13. Right to run Manipur Embassies in countries of our choice
14. Special Central Budget
15. Right to conclude commercial Business and Trading Agreements with foreign countries.

Manipur may remain as a part of India with shared Sovereignty.

The final shape of the Pre-Merger Political Status of Manipur may be decided after wide consultation among the various ethnic groups of Manipur and negotiation with the Government of India.

Without restoration of PRE-MERGER STATUS OF MANIPUR, fulfillment of any other demands will be meaningless. We will have our own country with all the ethnic groups living in harmony and peace together and compete with the best brains of the world. We can sit together and frame our own constitution as per wishes of all ethnic groups. This will be possible only when we stand united. This will be possible only when the all political parties, all civil society organizations, all pressure groups, all insurgent groups have a common vision, common language, common goal, common strategy and initiate a people's mass movement with passion, commitment, dedication and sacrifice.

This will be possible only when the young people lead the people's mass movement. All revolutions belong to the young people.

On you, depends tomorrow. This will be possible only when we fight for it in do or die situation. The time for action is TODAY, Tomorrow may be too late.

Concluded