Manorama remembered
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 11 2012:
A solemn function punctuated with emotional outbursts against the continued imposition of the draconian Armed Forces' Special Powers Act 1958 marked the eighth death anniversary of thangjam Manorama Devi held today at the Bamon Kampu Manorama memorial site.
The then 30-year old Manorama was found brutally murdered on this day after she was picked up by troops of 17 Assam Rifles on the intervening night of july 10-11 from her Bamon Kampu residence.
Manorama found killed after the troops issued arrest memo before taking her away coupled with the suspicion that she might have been raped before execution sparked off widespread agitation to demand the total repeal of the military Act.
In today's anniversary function organised by Manorama Memorial Charitable Trust, students joined a large number of civil society organisation functionaries and rights activists in paying floral tribute at her portrait.
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Irabot Foundation president and renowned social worker Thounaojam Iboyaima lit the ceremonial lamp to commence the commemoration event which was also attended by Trust president Sengoi Luwang, Apunba Lup co-ordinators A Langdon, Phunindro Konsam and Sunil Karam as presidium members.
Talking to The Sangai Express, Manorama's 65-year old mother Thangjam Khuman Leima conveyed strong wish that all those involved in the brutal murder of her daughter get befitting punishment.
She also desired that public pressure be sustained until and unless the entire circumstances leading to Manorama's death could be unravelled so that the culprits be pulled up and punished accordingly.
Obviously in grief ever since losing her daughter, Khuman Leima said she misses Manorama the most when her local friends arrive at their respective homes for Ningol Chakkouba, the grandest festival of the Meiteis.
She also repented on the lack of initiative by the State authorities to take the case to its logical conclusion.
sharing his view on the matter, Phunindro Konsam conceded that no formal arrest of the culprit(s) till date sometimes lead to the assumption that justice will never be delivered.
Rather than an exception it has become a norm that findings of inquiries ordered into similar cases of atrocities involving security forces have neither been made public nor were the guilty ones punished for crimes committed.
Terming the United nations recommendation to the Government of India for scrapping AFSPA as a validation of the people's continuous movement against the draconian Act, Phunindro conveyed that in pursuing a specific issue intensity of the movement depends on the situation at hand.
However, there would be no laxity till justice is delivered to the bereaved family, he affirmed.