Open Letter to the Prime Minister of India - "Stop the killings in Manipur"
PR

To,
Dr. Manmohan Singh
Honorable Prime Minister of India
Government of India,

Dear Sir,

The heart of every Indian beat with pride when you so courageously proclaimed that no citizen of this nation will go hungry despite the severe drought we are facing. At this juncture, we have one fundamental question!

What use is food to a dead person?

To be able to enjoy the many schemes and resources made available to its citizen by the state and the nation, one must be alive.

We would not like to assume that you are unaware of what is happening in the country. In the last 14 years, 4561 people have been killed in cold blood in Manipur. We have enclosed a list of people killed in Manipur in the last few years. The numbers speak for themselves particularly considering the fact that the entire population of our little state is 2.5 million (25 lakhs). There is a fear in the minds of the Manipuris that our race will get extinct if the killing continues at this rate.

Sir, in Tehelka Magazine (Vol 6, Issue 32, Dated August 15, 2009) it is said that, "Militants and politicians are friends. Commandos and extortionists are collaborators. Friends are informers. Law enforcers are killers. Beneath the table, every hand is interlinked". In the same story in Tahelka Magazine, Mr Ved Marwah, former governor of Manipur said 'The problem is as much with Delhi as with Imphal. The situation in Manipur can get much worse than Jammu and Kashmir but the Centre just does not want to recognise it'.

The last incident cements the fact that Manipur and its citizens are safe from from no one including the Government instituted Armed Forces. The so called protectors of our life gunned down a citizen, displaying total lack of self consciousness and moral on the events of 23 July at BT Road, Imphal.

We, the undersigned, humbly put forward the following points:
1. President's Rule (Short term measure).
2. Ensure that events in North-East in general and Manipur in particular get due attention in all media (government and private).
3. Immediate resignation of CM Okram Ibobi on moral ground, his professional impropriety and ineptness.
4. A capable team and best methods to stop the killings in Manipur.
5. Identification of able leaders to take the state going forward

We are not linked to any NGOs or any political parties. This letter comes to you from well educated citizens of Manipur, citizens of India too - who are working or pursuing further studies in many part of the country and abroad, who still see Manipur as their home, who cannot bear to see their home becoming a killing field. Everyday people get killed. Life in Manipur is like a lottery, you are alive because you are lucky.

Sir, how many deaths will it take till the central government knows that too many people have died?

Year	Civilians Killed	UG Activits Killed	Security Forces Killed	Total Killed
1996	62	42	52	156
1997	325	130	115	570
1998	129	78	63	270
1999	110	65	67	242
2000	110	110	63	283
2001	140	149	32	311
2002	69	94	84	247
2003	92	124	23	239
2004	82	132	35	249
2005	189	129	47	365
2006	107	132	42	281
2007	233	223	100	556
2008	212	233	39	484
2009 - (1st Jan '09 to 17th Aug '09)	144	157	7	308
Total Killed	2004	1798	769	4561

( Download an Excel File "People Killed From 2nd Oct, 2007 to 9th Aug, 2009" here - 156 KB


Sincerely Yours,
Ringo Pebam (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Krishnakanta Laiphangbam (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Supriya Shijagurumayum (IT Professional, Dubai) ([email protected])
Duran Thiyam (IT Professional, Mumbai) ([email protected])
Dwipen Khwairakpam (IT Professional, Mumbai) ([email protected])
Vimol Kshetrimayum (IT Professional, Pune) ([email protected])
Sumitra Thoidingjam (Assistant Professor, Delhi) ([email protected])
Soibam Haripriya (Research Scholar, Delhi) ([email protected])
Tiken Laishram (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Tiken Moirangthem (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Roshan Ngangom (IT Professional, USA) ([email protected])
John Zamkhomang Munluo (Retired Govt. Officer, Gurgoan) ([email protected])
Som Nahakpam (Student, Korea) ([email protected])
Jayanta Oinam (ITEs Professional, Delhi) ([email protected])
Ronid Chingangbam (Research Scholar, Delhi) ([email protected])
Danny Maisnam (IT Professional, Delhi) ([email protected])
Raju Athokpam (IT Professional, Delhi) ([email protected])
Romeo Ningombam (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Roger Ahongshangbam (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Akee Sorokhaibam (Advertising and Film, Mumbai) ([email protected])
Rishi Keisham (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Rowland Soibam (IT Professional, Delhi) ([email protected])
Vincent Golmei (IT Professional, Dimapur) ([email protected])
Biswajit Tayenjam (IT Professional, UK) ([email protected])
Sam Khumanthem (Communications Consultant, Hyderabad) ([email protected])
Chinglai Wangjam (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Sonyboy Narengbam (IT Professional, Bangalore) ([email protected])
Oinam Khuman Ngakpa (IT Professional, Mumbai) ([email protected])

Date: 18th August 2009

Note:

1. Attached is a spread sheet that has the list of names of people killed so far. We could cull so much from www.e-pao.net from October 2007 to August 2009.
2. Source of the data in the table in the mail:
a). Newspaper files of three vernacular dailies of Manipur-Poknapham, Matamgee Yakairol and Hueiyen Lanpao from 1996-2006.
b). Data for 2007 to 2009 taken solely from Sangai Express and Hueiyen Lanpao (that are available online at E-Pao.net)

This mail is copied to:
1. President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil
2. Vice President of India, Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari
3. Chairperson of the ruling UPA, Smt. Sonia Gandhi
4. Chief Justice of India, Mr K G Balakrishanan
5. Home Minister of India, Shri P. Chidambaram
6. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Shri LK Advani
7. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay
9. National Media Houses
10. Media Houses of North East India
12. Media Houses of Manipur
13. International Media Houses
14. Supreme Court Judges

Reference:

1. The first report on Aug 8, 2009.
Link here

2. Second report on Aug 15, 2009.
Link here

3. Killed in 2007:
Link here

4. Killed in 2008 and 2009:
Link here

5. ISTV news clip:
Link here

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The sender emails are included in this press release
This PR was webcasted on August 17, 2009 .
Updated on June 7 2015

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