Observance of Human Rights Day in Manipur
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: December 12, 2024 -

FOR decades civil society organisations and human rights bodies have been observing the International Human Rights Day by organising seminars, awareness campaigns and competitions for students, not to celebrate the anniversary of the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights' (UDHR) adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, but to grieve abuse of rights of the people, the civilian population to be specific, by both state and non-state actors.

Unlike in other parts of the world, where anniversary programmes are held to treasure adoption of the UDHR, here in the state, the observance serves as an occasion to reminisce atrocities suffered by the general population at the hands of security forces as well as blatant disregard of human rights by armed miscreants, and in remembrance of the deceased and surviving human rights defenders.

Regardless of the United Nations General Assembly adopting the UDHR to ensure that rights of citizens across the world are safeguarded by the governments concerned, here in the state the observance is held to denounce custodial deaths, involuntary disappearance of youths in their prime and use of brutal forces by security forces to suppress the people's movement.

For the outlawed organisations, the UDHR anniversary provides an opportunity to condemn the union government continuing to violate the freedom and human rights of the people of since merger of Kangleipak, present day Manipur, with India on October 15, 1949 till date.

Apart from recalling incidents of rights abuse by security forces, armed outfits make it a point to give clarion call to the masses to back the campaign for regaining sovereign status of Manipur.

Though there were no notable incidents of excesses committed by security forces and acts of violence perpetrated by members of outlawed outfits in the state, with exception of threats faced by the creamier layer of the society and owners of commercial establishments, in the last few years, the widespread observance of the International Human Rights Day by different organisations testifies that the wounds suffered during the peak of insurgency movement and random shootouts, including the stage managed encounters, are yet to heal.

Few years back, main-landers avoided Manipur on account of the state considered as one of the hostile regions of the world with killings of security personnel, armed insurgent cadres and their over-ground assisters, and even innocent civilians happening almost every day.

For instance from the 1970s till early part of year 2000, hardly any day passed without the state witnessing restive situation on account of insurgency-related incidents or civil bodies resorting to agitations in denunciation of alleged fake encounters, accusing the security personnel of indiscreetly violating human rights, charging the establishment of shielding the guilty men in uniform and staging demonstrations to condemn impulsive acts of violence involving cadres of insurgent outfits.

However, compared to the occasional killings of civilians by outlawed organisations, mostly for defying extortion demands or on the charge of being informers of security agents, majority of the bloodshed was caused by the government forces.

In fact, the Supreme Court ordering investigation into 98 cases of suspected fake encounter killings in Manipur in a decade's time out of 1528 such incidents alleged by civil and rights organisations sum up the excesses committed by security forces on both known insurgents and innocent civilians.

Thus, the observance of International Human Rights Day in the state has nothing to do with commending the UN for firmly advocating rights of the people but to mourn the loss of near and dear ones, and condemn imposition of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, a pro-military law which has gained notoriety for granting constitutional protection to even the guilty soldiers, in sharp contrast to provisions in the same constitution that guarantees rights of all bonafide citizens.