Oinam nightmare and wait for justice
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: July 12, 2012 -

Surviving victims of Operation Blue Bird waiting for justice :: Pix - Hueiyen Lanpao

It is indeed a sad commentary on the Indian judiciary system that even after 25 years of the infamous Operation Blue Bird launched by the Assam Rifles at Oinam village in Senepati district where 27 civilians were allegedly mowed down, 125 residential houses were burnt, six schools and 10 churches were dismantled, 3 women were raped and 5 others were molested, the wounds of the villagers are still raw and the wait for justice is still on.

On that fateful day of July 9, 1987, suspected armed cadres of NSCN attacked an outpost of the Assam Rifles at Oinam village and decamped with a large quantity of arms and ammunitions including 18 LMGs, 128 SLRs, 4 two-inches mortars, 20 carbine stens, 400 grenades, 128,000 rounds of ammunition and two wireless sets.

Nine jawans were also reportedly killed and three others seriously injured in the attack.

In retaliation, Assam Rifles launched the Operation Blue Bird on July 11 and let loose a reign of terror.

The wide scale human rights abuses committed during the course of the operation evoked Civil liberties and Human Rights Organisation (CLAHRO) to first of all file petition in the Gauhati High Court for the release of illegally arrested public leaders and villagers.

Another case was filed by Manipur Baptist Convention Women's Union on rape and sexual molestation, of womenfolk. On October 5, 1987, Naga People's Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR) also filed a writ petition on the atrocities committed by the Assam Rifles.

The petition of NPMHR was supported by a large member of affidavits given by the victims. It had also annexed memoranda, and appeals made by various political and voluntary groups to the state and central government for necessary action against the excesses of Assam Rifles and relief to the victims.

To quote the words of Nandita Haksar, who is fighting the case of Oinam incident, "Many were killed and tortured, women were raped and sexually harassed and expecting mothers were forced to give birth in broad daylight in the open ground and children were left to exposed in the rain on their own, however, even after 25 years, justice is being denied to the victims".

Such poignant words from a noted senior Supreme Court lawyer and human rights activist only goes to show the angst of the people under a judiciary system that thrives on procrastination rather than disposal of cases.

After 25 years down the line, Oinam incident may have entered the folklore of the Poumai Nagas and its documentary evidences become important sources material for human rights activists to write papers for seminars, but for those who have lived through the nightmare, it is 'a story of sin and shame' that needs to be purged.

And this could be possible only when every section of the society, regardless of our belonging to different caste or creed, join our hands together in fighting for the justice which has remained elusive even after the final hearing of the case conducted way back in 1993.