Switzerland of India (lord Irwin) the state of Manipur merged in the territory of India with a merger agreement act 15th October 1949 and granted the status
of state under the north eastern area reorganization act 21st January 1972. Manipur one of the oldest kingdom of south-east Asia become the land of sorrow
after the birth of an armed force special power act 1958.
What an amazing neat and clean people lived in the state of Manipur. The great sacrificing spirit of prince Tikendrajit son of king Chandrakity who was hang to death
along with his three colleague during an Anglo-Manipuri war. The birth place of heroic girls of Naga. Who was captured and sentence to transportation for six year
in the dark cell in Assam. The Rani Guidallo by a British government.
The culture we have are all proud to be called the Manipuri among the other state of India. This is clearly shown in a book of Jawaharlal Nehru "the summer valley"
it state that in a Bhanubill area of Sylhet I come across a large numbers of Manipuri hundreds of Charkas with Manipuri women and girls playing the wheel, sat in
order array to welcome in their nenfold and charming children stood by I was surprised and please to see there Manipuri.
Again in 1952(15th to 25th October) during his (Nehru) visit of north eastern frontier he noted something specific features of Manipuri that were not seen in the rest of India "where a clean people live one does not see a person wearing a dirty cloths as is common in the rest of India". Such a beautiful land where the beautiful people lived comes to end in 1961, after the government imposed the "Martial law" the armed force special power act 1958.
The provision of armed force special power act 1958 of clause 4, of the act empowered any commission officer, warrant officer, non-commission or a person equivalent rank in a disturb area may fired upon or used forced even to the point of causing death if he is of the opponent that is neat to be done to maintain public order. Under this act in case if a civilian is killed criminal code processor (Cr. P.C) is imposed to curb the public freedom of _expression. This act further state that it may arrest as well as enter and searched without warrant any premise to make any such arrest or if reasonable suspicious exists. Is this act maintaining the peace in region?
The very fact about the armed force special act is to appress the right of a civilian, as there is no rigorous justice for member of police or army who misused the act. How important is this act in the north-eastern state of India? Can the government hope to bring peace and stability in the region? The government should do well dialogue with
the people of the region not just with the militant but with the people who have been facing worst harassment of armed rule.
If the government of India provide nothing of what is supposed to provide to its citizen, to sub guard his or her right. Then who would not want to secede and participate in an armed struggle. Instead of enacting act like armed force special power act in the region of north eastern Why not the government improved the state development?. Since twenty-four year the people of Manipur had been discarded by the government of India from the mainstream of India.
In 1961 the armed forced special power act was first imposed in hill region of Tamenglong district of Manipur. By 8th September 1980 the act was put into effect on the whole state of Manipur. Since the act was imposed in the whole state the first rape report of "JOSHILA" by a security force was reported in March 1984. During the operation "operation blue bird" at Senapati district of Manipur in 1987 in pretext of recovering loss weapon the Indian army imposed the law of forced labour in Oinam village of Senapati district. The villagers were forced to carry the goods belonging to the army personal and forced them constructing the barrack of the personnel.
Even a woman were force to delivered a child public place. In 1904 when the British government tries to imposed forced labour in Manipur which insult the human dignity. Then the great power of people fought the British government which is known as the first "Anglo-Manipuri women war". The great British lost the hope of forced labour which is common in the rest of the state of India. Are the armed force special power act protecting the people of the region or insulting the life of the civilian. One weapon of a army personnel is more important than the life of a civilian.
7th January 1985 nine civilian including a medical student were killed by a team of CRPF personnel at RIMS(regional institute of medical science) campus. Right after the incidence to rescue the personnel government imposed curfew and not allowing the people to come out their home. Still so far after the birth of armed force special power act 1958, 275 innocent people of Manipur were killed in different incidence and many more are found missing after the army personnel arrest them without any arrest warrant.
Armed forced or the armed rule is not the gateway to root out insurgency in the state of Manipur through by means of social reformation the demarcation of line drawn between the government and the people will be solved. No human right and the fundamental exist in the state of Manipur that the constitution lay down for the people to sub
guard his or her identity. Who is the responsibility? Are we the people of Manipur for being born in the state of Manipur? There is many unsolved questions lying
in the state of Manipur.
Perfection is what we strive for. The society or the people of Manipur speak the language of Manipuri a common to everyone to Manipuri and lived in the
world largest democratic country. Are we not an Indian? Who are called the citizen of India? Kashmir or the north eastern can never be called other country.
To sub guard the unity is the mainstream line of development of India.
Differentiation of people by a region or the birth place which is very common in India, the moral of human society the feeling of people differ from one society to
others national integration _expression of the mental, emotional or internal dignity of the member of a country. It is for all the duty of the government to know
the feeling of a citizen living in a different region of a country. Armed forced special power act 1958 can never solved the ongoing problem in Manipur in
which the people don't have any right in their own homeland state of Manipur.
* T. Amarjit singh writes for the first time to e-pao.net .
You can email him at [email protected]
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