EEVFAM observes foundation day, dissects CBI probe
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, July 11 2021:
Extrajudicial Execution Victims' Families Association (EEVFAM) celebrated its 12th foundation day in a simple function held at the conference hall of Human Rights Alert, here on Sunday.
Presenting the annual report, EEVFAM secretary Edina Yaikhom briefed the gathering on the status of the ongoing CBI investigation and trial in the CJMs and Sessions Court in Manipur following the PIL EEVFAM had filed in the Supreme Court of India.
Edina recalled how the Association was formed on July 11 in 2009, when a group of family members of victims of extrajudicial executions and human rights activist met at the house of late Longjam Uttamkumar of Longjam Leirak, who was executed in front of his own family.
It is worth noting that two most gruesome incidents of the human rights violations which triggered massive people's resistance occurred on the same day (July 11), she said.
On the occasion of the 12th foundation day of EEVFAM, the chief guest of the function Meenakshi Chanambam released a book entitled 'The 11th July: A Compilation of Reports Pertaining to Operation Bluebird and Murder of Manorama'.
The statement gave a brief account of Operation Bluebird in which Assam Rifles personnel stationed at Oinam village in Senapati district unleashed a reign of terror on the nearby villagers in retaliation to an earlier NSCN attack on them.
Operation Bluebird was launched in July 1987 and continued for three months in which 27 people were alleged to have been killed, three women raped and five women sexually molested while 300 people were tortured.
NPMHR petitioned the Guwahati High Court in October 1987, which directed the Court of Sessions Judge, Manipur, Imphal to record the evidence of the victims.
Sessions Judge C Upendra Singh began recording evidence of the victims in August 1988 .
The final hearing was conducted before the bench of Justice Phukan and Justice Shishak in March 1992 .
But it was only after 26 years that the High Court of Manipur finally pronounced the judgment on June 13, 2019 .
The court directed the state's home secretary to constitute a committee to hold an inquiry into the incident of Operation Bluebird within three months, but there is no sign of the committee being constituted.
Even as all legal evidences and testimonies of the gruesome act of mass atrocities evaporated into the thin air without a trace from the very institutions that is constituted to defend the fundamental right of the citizens and deliver justice, the only comprehensive report of the incident available in the public domain is the Amnesty International report entitled "Operation Bluebird" A Case Study of Torture and Extrajudicial Executions in Manipur issued in January 1990 .
"It seems that this report was basically a summary of the evidences recorded by Sessions Judge C Upendra Singh.
We are reproducing this report," the statement said.
The statement also gave a brief account on the rape and murder of Thangjam Manorama by troops of 17 Assam Rifles in the intervening night of July 10 and 11 and how a massive protest across the state forced the state government to constitute an inquiry commission.
Despite of strong objections by Assam Rifles, the Commission conducted a thorough inquiry and submitted its report.
However, the government never made the report public or placed it before the cabinet or in the assembly.
No action was taken on the 20 recommendations listed at the end of the report.
The Commission categorically fixed the responsibility of the persons responsible for the death of Manorama in the following words: "In view of the materials before the Commission and for the reasons given above, five persons viz Major N Dagar, Commander of the operational team of 17th Assam Rifles is responsible either directly or vicariously, four other personnel who joined in the operational team viz.
Havildar Suresh Kumar, Rifleman T Lotha, Rifleman Ajit Singh and Rifleman Saikia are directly responsible for the killing of Km Monorama in the custody of the 17th Assam Rifles.
(Chapter IV, para 21, page 65)" .
"Almost after a decade, the Supreme Court demanded copies of all the reports of the Commission of Inquiries constituted by the state government and the court handed over a copy of these reports to the petitioners.
We are presenting this hard-earned report to the public," it added.
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