Yearning for justice as number of encounters declines
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: July 25, 2022 -

WITHOUT an iota of doubt, the controversial manner in which former insurgent member Chungkham Sanjit was shot dead and Thokchom Rabina, then in advanced stage of pregnancy, got killed in broad daylight in the same firing incident that took place along the busy BT Road section of Khwairamband Keithel on July 23, 2009 exposed excesses committed by security forces under the garb of counter insurgency operation as well as immunity granted by the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958.

The startling report on the BT Road firing incident carried by Tehelka magazine along with photographic evidences of an unarmed Sanjit overpowered and dragged inside a shop by police commandos minutes before his lifeless body was brought out of the same shop not only drew strong public criticisms against the conduct of law enforcement agencies but also led to sharp decline in the number of encounter cases, both fake and genuine ones.

Moreover, the Supreme Court ordering impartial investigation into the 98 cases of fake encounter killings on the basis of a writ petition filed by rights groups alleging 1528 staged managed killings in Manipur in between year 2000 and 2012 literally the pushed the security forces into a tight corner and seemingly compelled them to ponder over before pulling the trigger.

Apart from the BT Road firing case, the extra-judicial execution of Thangjam Manorama in July 2004 and the epochal nude protest by elderly women at the western gate of Kangla where an Assam Rifles battalion used to be stationed, also caused great embarrassment to both the security forces and the lawmakers.

In the aftermath of these controversial incidents coupled with the Supreme Court’s order that all cases that smacks of violating human rights should be thoroughly investigated into, there has been notable cessation in the number of gunfights between security forces and unlawful elements and the same trend continues till date, consequently giving the present regime the bragging right to assert that it brought law and order under control.

At any given opportunity, the ruling party leaders also make it a point to compare the present-day law and order stability to those years when genuine as well as dubious encounters used to be a daily affair.

With the semblance of peace and social stability in the state, various human rights organisations too have been literally lying idle and are observing annual commemorative events as a formality.

Nevertheless, these rights groups ought to be credited for the present situation as their outright condemnations against atrocities committed by state and central forces and initiating legal punitive procedures against the trigger-happy men in uniform technically made the security authorities to review their strategies in tackling the insurgency issue.

In view of the prevailing cordial atmosphere and sharp dip in activities of insurgent outfits, the government has also been emboldened to take the initiative for repeal of AFSPA 1958 from certain parts of the state.

However, for the rights organisations gradual repeal of the pro-military law wouldn’t suffice as their ultimate goal is to ensure that those involved in the numerous controversial killings are penalised, whether the accused are still in active service or have retired.