The curious case of Maram assault
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: August 18, 2014 -

There is something very curious about the case of physical assault on Ringsanbou Newmai, a student belonging to Zeliangrong community and studying in BA 5th Semester of History (Hons) in Don Bosco College, Maram on July 28 last.

While one group comprising Zeliangrong Union and Maram Union has claimed to have settled the matter peacefully through the court of customary law with the accused warden of Josephine Girls’ Hostel Hingba Mathew exchanging rice plates with ZU Tamei Zone Chairman Champonbou on behalf of the victim after a series of meetings and discussions among all parties concerned; another group comprising Zeliangrong Youth Front (ZYF), All Zeliangrong Students’ Union (AZSU) and Zeliangrong Students’ Union, Manipur (ZSUM), which had even imposed a 24-hr bandh along national highways to exert pressure on the State Police Department to arrest the accused warden, has made it clear that they will pursue the matter till justice is delivered to the victim and any consequences in this connection shall be the responsibilities of the State Government.

With these two groups engaging in a silent war of issuing press statements almost everyday, thereby confusing the reading public on what is actually going on; the family members of the victim student had been even compelled to come out with a clarification.

According to the clarification given by the family members, they had petitioned to ZYF, AZSU and ZSUM on August 2 for taking up the issue after withdrawal of their earlier petition from ZU, and so, any solution brought about by any organisation other than ZYF, AZSU and ZSUM would not be acceptable to them.

In the light of this clarification from the side of the family members, the question that arisen now is how could ZU and Maram Union claimed to have settled the matter peacefully through the customary law with the accused warden and the ZU Tamei Zone chairman exchanging rice plates on behalf of the victim student, who is reportedly undergoing medical treatment for damage of his intestine, kidney, liver, broken jaw etc. in the ICU of JNIMS Hospital since July 30 last?

It is true that this was not the first time that students belonging to Zeliangrong community have been targeted and there were as many as nine such cases of assault reported in the past since the commissioning of Don Bosco College at Maram.

But none of these cases were as curious as the present one.

Apart from the deep divide within and the old habit of putting the blame elsewhere, the present curious case of assault on student has revealed more than it could conceal on the working style and nature of at least some credit-crazy social organisations, which are supposedly working for the welfare of the people.