FIDAM seeks justice in 24 enforced disappearance cases
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, February 18 2025: Families of Involuntary Disappeared Association of Manipur (FIDAM) has sought justice for the victims of enforced disappearance cases in Manipur, highlighting 24 cases of enforced disappearance from 1980 to 2012 .

In a statement, the association urged the Governor and the chief secretary to communicate with, and instruct the Department of Home to provide a detailed report on the investigation of the 24 cases of enforced disappearance from 1980 to 2012, along with the reasons behind the inordinate delay in delivery of justice to families of the victims.

It also demanded constitution of an independent and impartial investigation team chaired by a retired justice with the participation of civil society organisations and victim families to probe the cases within six months.

It further called for communication with the Ministry of Home Affairs and Defence to provide the list of the perpetrators involved in the enforced disappearances during the said period in Manipur and urged the government to approach the expert members of the Working Group on Enforced Disappearance of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva for technical suggestions and cooperation.

Emphasising the need for justice, the association demanded that all perpetrators involved in enforced disappearances in the state be punished and that justice be delivered to the victim families.

Expressing serious shock and regret, FIDAM stated that enforced disappearances in Manipur began on September 23, 1980, when Thokchom Lokendro was whisked away at midnight following the first order of the Government of India imposing AFSPA 1958 in the state, particularly in the valley.

The association alleged that the act of enforced disappearance was committed by the Indian Army, while recounting that the last recorded case occurred on November 25, 2024, when Laishram Kamal Babu (56) disappeared from the military garrison at the headquarters of the Indian Army's 57th Mountain Division at Leimakhong.

The statement cited the report of the Human Rights Council (A)HRC/56/NGO/118 dated June 24, 2024, that extrajudicial execution and enforced disappearance are tools of terror and crimes under international law with a devastating impact not only on individuals and their families but also on entire societies.

According to FIDAM, the report shed light on how the enforced disappearances have left scars that are difficult to heal, with many families left with unanswered questions for life.

"The practice has reached a global scale and that India is not immune to this human rights violation, as individuals and communities in several Indian states have been targeted," it noted.

Elaborating, FIDAM stated that the 24 cases of enforced disappearance in Manipur occurred between 1980 and 2012 in Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Ukhrul, Churachandpur, Tengnoupal, and Chandel districts.

It alleged that the perpetrators were various units of the Indian Army, Assam Rifles, CRPF, and other units of the Indian army including JK Rifles, JK Light Infantry, Sikh Regiment, Rajputana Rifles, 317th Field Regiment, etc., stationed at different locations in the state and beyond.

The statement also listed the names of the victims and the security force units allegedly responsible for their disappearance, stating that many of them were taken from their homes or detained before vanishing without a trace.

Maintaining that enforced disappearances in Manipur have been a grave human rights issue for decades, particularly in areas administered under AFSPA, the association called for accountability, stating that justice must be delivered to the families who have suffered without answers for years.

FIDAM urged authorities at both the state and central levels to take immediate action to address these cases and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable under the law.

Reiterating its demands, the association stressed the need for an impartial investigation and international cooperation to address the longstanding issue of enforced disappearances in Manipur and expressed hope that the concerned authorities would act swiftly to provide justice to the victim families and put an end to the impunity surrounding such cases in the state.

Comment