Before I start I would like to clarify to the reader that am neither a pro-Indian nor pro-AFSPA or anti-Manipuri. I am neither human rights activities nor an expert in this field. I don't act like one either. My apology to the reader for not providing the exact date of incidents mentioned in my article.

I would have maintained the records had I knew that I would be writing such article in future. But I promise none of the incidents is fiction or unreal. They are all true incident resounding inside me for years.

Off late the discussion in various forums like Newpapers, General meetings, E-pao and some mailing groups like Manipuri, and Manipuri-Diaspora etc. has been about the violation of human rights by Indian army. There is no doubt about the fact that there are many instances of human rights violation by Indian army under protection of AFSPA.

Killing of Manorama, Rape of married women, Malom killing, RIMS killing and perhaps many more which one may not forget through his entire life. Each incident is followed by democratic and peaceful form of protest such as bandh, dharnas and rallies or sometimes as violent as self-immolation or attacking the police.

Each incident instills courage into the heart of Manipuris and they BRAVELY fought against the authority. No need to describe the feeling of Manipuri during this protest. Most of us have either seen it or been part of it at some time or the other.

But at the same time, we Manipuris, who fear for nothing, not even DEATH, to get our basic human rights, are overlooking a major chapter of the human right violation against us. Our fight of human right or protest against human rights violation is confined only to those committed by Indian army or state police. Hope the reader understands by this time what I am talking about.

Yes your understanding is right. I am talking about the extremist (common term for all the self-proclaim patriots either officially banned or officially recognized by govt.), of Manipur. We Manipuris tend to shrink, our BRAVE hearts tend to lose it blood when it comes to atrocities committed by them. Why is it so? Is it because they are brethren?

Is it because they are not under government of India or is it because there is no written document as such like AFSPA? Or is it because the punishment is too harsh if we raise out voice.

I will elaborate more on this because it has been a neglected chapter. I am not overlooking the atrocities committed by Indian army. There are many intellectuals who will and have been writing about them better than me.

1. Pay tax (ransom). If you don't get killed or get a shot at least.
No need to elaborate this fact. Has any citizen in any part of the world faced such kind of law under their government or those governing them? I don't think so. Ya of course people would have faced such law (threat to be correct in term) under gundas and underworld dons. I have not heard about anybody or any organization of Manipur raising voice against this threat. People choose to live along with it.

2. Use unfair means in exams, get a shot.
Where on earth have we heard about this other than the eramdam Manipur? It may not have been mentioned as human rights violation in any of the human rights books because nobody would have thought about it. It still continues, and will continue.

3. Follow their order else get killed.
Some years back (don't remember the exact date, year), the so called future government act as a moral policing and issued a notice not to celebrate Thabal Chongba beyond 5 days of Yaosang. This was not to disturb the students appearing for exams. A leikai, somewhere in Khongman, ignored it and they celebrated. They fired indiscriminately to the crowd. Some died in the firing. I mistake indeed, but was the mistake serious enough to get death penalty?

4. Freedom of speech
How far this right has been respected user the rule of our so called, in common man's term, inner government? No media are allowed to publish anything against them. No protest, no article voicing against them are permitted to reach the masses. Most of the local Newspaper have faced this problem some way or the other. Kidnapping of editors is also another common incident in Manipur.

Anyone who speaks against them will be shot death immediately without any warning. Years back a true Manipur, a brave heart asked 10 questions to the armed revolutionaries of Manipur using a fake identity. They answered his questions but he was asked to reveal his true identity promising him of no harm. Believing them he revealed his identity.

I heard he was shot death a week after that. (I am not sure about this news because nothing was published about it in any local newspaper). If was true, did the people of Manipur thinks that he deserve that punishment?

5. Hijacking Development funds.
Major portion of the development fund granted by the government goes to the hand of underground organization. If they don't get enough share of money, they resort to activities like kidnapping of engineers, contractors, threatening calls family etc, very common incidents in Manipur in the recent past.

There has been some form of protest by engineers, contractors and their family. But the protest never becomes big enough to make an impact because no patriots, no human right activities or no meira paibis came to their support. Consequencely, we have a 1 mm thick tar road, a shortened flyover and many development programs that never reached the people. Well I am honest to say UG are not the only person responsible for underdeveloped Manipur. Corrupt officials and politicians are also equally responsible.

6. Right to education.
Start with an incident in Little Flower School, one of the best schools in Manipur. An underground organization demanded a huge ransom from school authority. Failed by authority to give them the ransom, they broke computers and other valuable school properties. Following the action, most of the schools run by Christian missionaries, the best schools in the state, closed indefinitely leaving the future of thousands of students in uncertain state.

Next incident, for the same reason, the head of Don Bosco School Chingmeirong, Father Sibastian was shot at the belly. Aren't such incidents a violations of our rights to education? The students organizations, reputed for their fearless struggle against the human rights violation remained silent. This fact cannot be denied because following the second incident, I was one among the few students who went to approached AMSU, the most powerful student organization in the valley.

The protest went for few days by a few students and parent organization, without any support from the so called Human rights activists or Student organization. The voice soon vanishes in the air. But the voice is still echoing inside the heart of many like me. How many times we have heard about kidnapping vice chancellor of MU, the only university of Manipur? And again for the same reason, the money granted for books and knowledge should be used for guns and trouble.

I am sure many of you can add many more incidents of such kind but I doubt how many will really come forward. So concluding my article why am narrating such incidents, why am bringing up this and what is my intention behind this article. It is very simple. I am coming up with this article to questions the integrity of those fighting for human rights in Manipur. Are they really genuine or are they meant to fight the human rights violations only by those related to Indian government? Are we too corward acting to be BRAVE to those who can do no harm on us for doing so.

Don't try to act like a peacock when you know you are a crow.

How long are we going to neglect such incidents? Day by day, the paradise of the east and jewel of India is fast developing towards the Stone Age.