Meet notes arms impact on Manipuri society
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, June 17 2011: In connection with observance of the global week of action on gun violence, Manipur Women Gun Survivors' Network hosted a day long community conference on the theme '10 years of United Nations Programme on small arms & Manipuri women's leadership role in humanitarian disarmament efforts' at The Classic Hotel here today.

Several family members and close, including widows and mothers, recounted violent events that resulted in the premature demises of their near and dear ones to Ambassador of Norway in India Hege Hanson.

Most of the victims' families cited extra-judicial powers exercised by security forces under the immunity of AFSPA 1958 and various instances of fake encounters as the main cause of their near and dear ones snatched away from them.

Inspite of patiently noting the tales of woes, the Norwegian diplomat, when approached by some newspersons, declined to comment of what she or the Government of Norway would be initiating to address the situation.

Hansen, nevertheless, confided that her steely resolve to understand plight of the North East womenfolk, especially the widows in Manipur, brought her here to attend the programme.

Among others, mother of Irom Rojer, namely Irom (Ongbi) Chitra alleged that rather than pulling up the culprits involved in her young son's dead her family continues to receive threats to hush up the incident.

She also expressed strong resentment that expecting justice the Union Home Minister was apprised on the incident of her son being shot dead in broad daylight, but till date there no concrete measures could be heard from the side of the Central Government.

The Network's founder Binalakshmi Nepram recounted that with initial emphasis on the Meira Paibi movement, the focus of the organisation gradually shifted on plight of the surviving widows, who are mostly victims of the ongoing armed conflict.

She informed that out of about 20,000 victims of armed conflict nearly 300 had lost their husbands to violent events in the past few years.

Further contending that highest number of violence associated with the armed conflict has been recorded in Manipur compared to other States, highlighted that with violence only compounding the issue at hand the focus should be on amity and chalk out measures to provide justice to the victims.

Binalakshmi also conceded that the Network is yet to officially figure out number of victims 'gunned down' by unidentified perpetrators.

Ruing continuous acts of violence perpetrated by both the State and non-state actors thereby amounting to abuse of International Humanitarian Law, the Network founder also revealed that weapons manufactured in 13 countries are being used in the State by various armed outfits, technically turning Manipur into the world's largest market for arms of varied size and shape.

Expressing her views on the present armed conflict situation, All Manipur Social Reformation and Development Samaj general secretary Th Ramani Devi blamed the ever increasing cases of violence to protracted imposition of the draconian AFSPA 1958 .

Holding the law enforcing agencies' alleged incompetency to check influx of arms and drugs as a factor for the aggravating the situation, she suggested that Government of Manipur take the people into confidence in order find an amicable solution to the insurgency problem rather than accusing social activists who criticise the Government as harbinger of the insurgency movement.

While United Committee Manipur (External Affairs) vice president L Nganbi laid the blame on fake encounters for several hundred womenfolk helplessly wailing as widows and desiring that Irom Chanu Sharmila's campaign against AFSPA be effectively highlighted to the international community, former Chairperson of Manipur State Commission for Women Dr Ch Jamini said every section of the society should contribute their mite in the rehabilitation of the widows.

On the otherhand, Human Rights Law Network director Rakesh Meihoubam regretted that legal processes for providing justice to the victims' families as well as punitive action against the guilty one generally end inconclusively as JACs formed in connection with specific incidents arrive at an agreement with the Government inspite of their movement to seek justice initially getting thrashed during baton charge or movement-repression measures adopted up security forces.

Noting that several inquiry commissions constituted by the Government had proved to be a futile exercise, Rakesh strongly suggested that investigative processes should be initiated promptly instead of setting up inquiry panels, as had been the practice, years after a particular incident.

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