EEVFAM's 12th foundation day observed
Horrors of Ops Bluebird remembered
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, July 11 2021:
Extrajudicial Execution Victim Families Association (EEVFAM) observed its 12th foundation day by adhering to the Covid protocols at the conference hall of Human Rights Alert, today.
A press release issued by EEVFAM said that Meenakshi Chanambam, chief guest of the function, released a book entitled, "The 11th July: A Compilation of Reports Pertaining to Operation Bluebird and Murder of Manorama" .
Operation Bluebird
Operation Bluebird that was launched on July 11,1987 after an attack from the NSCN lasted for three months, said EEVFAM and claimed that about 27 people were allegedly killed in the operation while over 300 were assaulted both physically and sexually.
Saying that NPMHR petitioned the Guwahati High Court in October 1987, it added that the Court directed the Sessions Judge, Imphal to record the evidence of the victims of torture.
Sessions Judge C Upendra Singh began recording evidence of the victims in August 1988 during which thousands of pages of testimonies of horror were recorded in detail, after cross examination by the counsels of Union of India and State of Manipur, EEVFAM added.
Saying that the final hearing was conducted before the bench of Justice Phukan and Justice Shishak in March 1992, the association added that the High Court of Manipur, after 26 years, pronounced that the entire records could not be identified or located and there is no final or interim report from the District Judge, Imphal.
Though the Court directed the State Home Secretary to constitute a committee consisting of the Superintendent of Police and the Deputy Commissioner of Senapati to inquire into the incident of Operation Bluebird within three months, there is no sign of the committee being constituted, it claimed.
Even as all legal evidence and testimonies of the gruesome act evaporated into the thin air without a trace from the very institutions that is constituted to defend the fundamental rights of the citizens, the only comprehensive report of the incident available today is the Amnesty International report entitled "Operation Bluebird: A Case Study of Torture and Extrajudicial Executions in Manipur," added EEVFAM.
'Murder of Manorama'
EEVFAM claimed that troops of 17th Assam Rifles raided the house of Thangjam Manorama at Bamon Kampu Mayai Leikai on the intervening night of July 10 and 11 in 2004 .
Saying that the all-male soldiers interrogated and tortured Manorama in front of her family members before whisking her away in their vehicle after issuing an arrest memo, the association added that the lifeless body of Manorama was found the next day on a road side with signs of rape and torture.
In response to the massive and unprecedented protest from the public, the then Government of Manipur constituted a commission to probe the incident, it said added that the Government neither made the finding of the inquiry public nor placed it before the Cabinet or the Assembly.
According to the Commission, then Major N Dagar, Commander of the operational team is responsible either directly or otherwise for the death of Manorama, said EEVFAM and added that four other personnel who were part of the operation Havildar Suresh Kumar, Rifleman T Lotha, Rifleman Ajit Singh and Rifleman Saikia, on the other hand are directly responsible for the killing of Manorama.