Imphal, September 07, 2010: The August 31 High Court verdict has given an impetus to anti-Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act campaigners in insurgency-hit Manipur to move forward in demanding justice for all human rights violations perpetrated by the armed forces and repeal of the Army Act.

After six years of legal battle, the Gauhati High Court passed its judgment allowing the State Government to open and act upon the findings of the facts and circumstances leading to the brutal murder of Thangjam Manorama Devi by Assam Rifles personnel in July, 2004. The ruling explicitly said the C Upendra Commission set up by the State Government is legal and valid.

The multiple bullet riddled body of Manorama, then 32 , was found in the wee hours of July 11 , 2004 at Laipharok Maring village in Imphal east.

She was picked up by 17 AR soldiers from her Bamon Kampu Mayai Leikai residence the previous night.

"Manorama's case is just one episode known by the whole Nation.

A large number of gross human rights violations cases involving the Central forces are still pending in the Courts.

The armed forces had, in many instances, also challenged the legal validity of inquiry commissions set up by the State Government," said human rights activist W Joykumar.

"A new vigor has been given to all rights activists and anti army act campaigners by the August 31 verdict to fight legally various cases akin to that of Manorama and intensify the people's demand to scrap the oppressive act," he added.

A resident of Imphal East, Joykumar, however expressed dissatisfaction over the stillness of the state government in defying the Act.

Echoing Joykumar, executive director of Human Rights Alert ( HRA) Babloo Loitongbam said some North East states including Nagaland whose degrees of adverse impact under AFSPA in the present trend are lesser than of Manipur have already adopted resolutions in their respective assembly sessions against the military act, "In Kashmir both the opposition and the ruling are fighting against the act and the centre is considering lifting it from two districts of the strife-torn state.

But in Manipur, the government is keeping mum for a long time.

Manipur government silence is too loud," Babloo lamented.

The police crackdown on anti-AFSPA campaigners including the leaders of the Aunba Lup even to the extent of detaining them under the National Security Act (NSA) in the aftermath of the alleged custodial killing of Ch Sanjit by police commandos in July last year is much condemnable, Babloo added.

Human rights lawyer Rakesh Meihoubam , who appeared on behalf of Manorama's family in the Gauhati High Court case , said the act has no place in a civilized society.

Meanwhile the state government has received a copy of the August 31.

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