As part of the International Week of the Disappeared, FIDAM a Manipur based non-governmental organization formed by the Families of the Involuntarily Disappeared has been actively highlighting the pains and trauma of the families of those who disappeared after being apprehended by the central security forces as part of the ongoing counter insurgency campaign.

While terming incidences of enforced disappearances as an indication of the central forces attitude towards the people of Manipur, members of FIDAM reiterated that the Armed Forces Special Power Act is at the root of this human tragedy in Manipur.

Mayanglambam Yumshang is the 88 years old mother of Tomba who remains untraceable after he was picked up from this house by JK Light Infantry on the evening of December 2nd 1990. Incidentally Tomba who was just 19 years of age at the time of his arrest was a physically challenged person.

His mother, visibly in a state of shock said, 'I had just plucked some spinach from the kitchen garden was about to cook them with a ngamu/fish when they appeared from nowhere and took away my son. They even pushed me while they took him off. All I could do was stand there and cry'.

Although there were some eye witnesses to the incident that took place at Kakching Khonou, Hijam Uchan Makhong Leikai , fear of the Army prevented them to speak up until now. According to villages of Kakching Khonou, Tomba was very talented with his hands and his toys guns were almost actually replicas and that could be the nail in his coffin.

Angom Hirachandra, who was whaling away his time with a group of his friends in close vicinity to Mayanglambam Tomba's residence recounted the incident, 'I couldn't quite saw when they parked them vehicles.

I saw around 20 soldiers jump out and quickly cordoned off the area and zeroed in on Mayanglambam Tomba's residence. We wondered what could have happened as Tomba's and his family is known to be all law abiding citizens. During those times, everybody feared the Army, so we quickly left fearing repercussions.'

Yumshangbi, the only person who was present during the arrest said her son Tomba was brought back by the JK Light Infantry on the same night with hands tied up but only to be taken away forever.

'On their return, they searched our home. I told them to search to their hearts content as we had nothing to hide. While on their way out, I pleaded for my son's life. Instead they pushed me again and left with son. His hands were tied up like a criminal'

It was only after one and half year that Tomba's only surviving brother decided to take legal recourse. However due to lack of evidence, deliverance of justice couldn't be sought.

Today, Iboyaima's cannot forgive himself for not searching for his brother then. He said,' we were very frightened of the JK army then. Fearing repercussion, we didn't not do all that much to trace tomba'

Recounting the traumatic experience that occurred 25 years ago, the mother and his elder brother said, the incident had forever darkened the light from their family.

'The way I lost my son is very disheartening. The incident has left me demented. I'm definite they had killed my precious son' said Tomba's mother)