Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, a first-time MP from Manipur had slammed the Centre for turning a blind eye towards Manipur in his maiden Lok Sabha speech on July 1, 2024. He had pointed towards the ‘Rashtriya Chetna’ (collective consciousness) that excludes people of Manipur.

Manipur has been witnessing violence between Meiteis and Kuki-Zo communities for more than one year now. More than 60,000 people have been displaced and have taken refuge in relief camps built across the state.

Amidst this crisis that is grappling Manipur, two events were organised in Manipur without much limelight from the national media.

The rape-murder of Thanjam Manorama

On July 11, 2024, Thangjam Manorama Memorial Trust and Apunba Lup have commemorated 20 years of Thangjam Manoroma’s brutal rape and murder in Kakching.

Representatives from civil society organisations and human rights defenders had attended the meeting. Draconian laws such as the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the National Security Act (NSA) have been condemned during the meeting.

Thiyam Nilbir, president of the Thangjam Manorama Memorial Trust had highlighted that even though the official records cite 1,500 AFSPA related deaths, the actual record exceeds 10,000 deaths. The event concluded by terming the death of Manorama as one of the most notorious AFSPA related deaths.

Thanjam Manoroma was arrested by Assam Rifles personnel on the night of July 11, 2004. As per the Assam Rifles, she was a member of the banned People’s Liberation Army and was responsible for multiple attacks. Her family members denied these allegations.

But, a report of Human Rights Watch claims that multiple journalists and human rights activists had agreed that she was linked with the PLA but differed on the army’s version on her role in multiple attacks. Assam Rifles had also alleged to have recovered arms while apprehending Manorama, while her brother denied any such allegation.

In the wee hours of July 11, her bullet-ridden body was recovered from Ngariyan Maring, about four kilometers from her house. Manoroma was wearing a ‘sarong’ when she was picked up and her hands tied. The Assam Rifles have alleged Manorama to be trying to flee and they had to fire at her.

Multiple inconsistencies were reported in the versions of Assam Rifles. Manoroma was unarmed, draped in traditional Sarong and her hands tied when she was arrested, under such circumstances, it was not possible for her to run so fast from the armed guards that Assam Rifles personnel had to resort to firing.

Her Sarong had traces of male semen in it pointing out that she was raped before being killed. Her body including her vagina had multiple bullet injuries fired from close range. Even after being injured by multiple bullets, the place from where her body was recovered had no blood stains pointing out that she was killed somewhere else and dumped there.

Forensic experts had claimed that she was shot while she was lying down and her body had multiple other bruises pointing out that she was tortured before being killed. No women police officer was present while the Assam Rifles Personnel had gone to arrest Manorama, making the entire process invalid even if the claims of Assam Rifles are to be believed.

The brutal rape and murder of Thangjam Manoroma is indeed one of the most notorious AFSPA related death in this country.

When the 'Nude mothers' protest in Manipur shook the country

On July 15, 2024, which is marked as Anti-Repression Day, a small group of people gathered in MDU, Imphal to observe 20 years of completion of the nude mothers' protest by 12 elderly women of Manipur. Retired District and Session Judge, Justice A. Noutuneshwari chaired the meeting and discussed the role of this protest in marking the strength of Manipuri women against draconian AFSPA.

Twenty years ago, on July 15, 2004, 12 elderly mothers had walked to the Kangla Fort in Imphal, the headquarters of Assam Rifles, stripped naked and protested against the brutal rape and murder of Manoroma.

They screamed ‘Rape us, take our flesh’. Policemen cried while arresting these 12 mothers. The photo of this protest had shaken both the national and international collective consciousness. The then prime minister Manmohan Singh had to rush to Manipur.

But the impunity with which AFSPA operated remained consistent. The Manipur government had ordered an enquiry on this matter by a committee headed by a retired district judge Upendra Singh. The commission had summoned the Assam Rifles to appear before it multiple times but none had ever shown up. Perturbed by this attitude, Upendra Singh had put a notice in leading newspapers asking the concerned Assam Rifles personnel to appear before the committee.

The Assam Rifles had filed a petition in Guwahati High Court on August 19, 2004 saying that they are victims of a conspiracy hatched by insurgents and their sympathisers. Moreover, since they are protected under Article 6 of AFSPA, they cannot be compelled to appear before a committee set up by a state government and are rather governed by orders of the central government.

In August 28th, 2004, interim order, the High Court had refused to stay the proceedings of the Upendra Commission Report but had prevented the commission report from being public. The final report was submitted to the Manipur Government on November 22, 2004.

During its final verdict on June 23, 2005, the High Court had found that the Manipur Government had no administrative control over the Assam Rifles who are protected by the veil of AFSPA. The order further asked the central government to undertake appropriate measures.

On the other hand, Assam Rifles had filed a petition stating that since the Manipur Government had no control over Assam Rifles, the report cannot be held valid.

The case is pending in the court of law till date and hence, neither the report of Upendra Commission has been made public nor the perpetrators of the heinous rape and murder of Thangjam Manoroma brought to justice.

Irom Sharmila's fast and electoral defeat

The case of Manorama was successful in drawing attention towards the heinous outcomes of AFSPA. The no. of unaccounted killings came down in the conflict torn Northeast. But did the state learn its lessons from this incident? Or the memories of this heinous rape and murder was strategically erased from the collective public consciousness?

In 2000, ten civilians were allegedly fired upon and killed by armed forces in Malom while waiting at a bus stop. This had led Irom Sharmila to go for fast unto death as her protest against AFSPA. Irom was arrested and forcefully fed while in custody. She was discharged of the charges by a local court and finally released from judicial custody in March, 2016.

She headed to Imphal and continued her fast unto death and she was re-arrested under the same charge of attempt to commit suicide. Finally she had broken her fast of 16 years in August, 2017 to further take the issue of AFSPA in the legislative assembly. Her dreams were shattered after she had received only 90 votes in 2017 Manipur assembly elections. She had contested against the sitting chief minister Ibobi Singh.

The continuation of AFSPA

In May, 2021, Suruj Hajong, a 12 year old child in Assam’s Tinsukia district was out playing near a river. He came across some metallic thing and had lifted it out of curiosity. The thing turned out to be a bomb and exploded claiming his life. Upon investigation it was found that the bomb was mistakenly dropped by patrolling forces and later found by this child. The perpetrators of this crime escaped prosecution owing to the protection by AFSPA.

On December 4, 2021, a unit of Para Special Forces of Indian Army had open fired at a group of workers returning from their work, killing six innocent civilians in Mon district of Nagaland. Eight more civilians and one soldier were killed in the subsequent violence taking the death toll to 15. The Nagaland Government has registered an FIR and NHRC has sent notices to both the state and central governments.

On April, 2023, the Centre had denied initiating prosecution against the perpetrators of this mass violence under section 302 owing to the protection from the law of this land that they enjoy under the veil of AFSPA.

In the last three years, AFSPA has been removed from parts of Assam, Manipur and Nagaland. It has been completely removed from Meghalaya and Arunachal (except few bordering districts) citing improved law and order situations. But, the impunity with which this act operates, remains.

Twenty years down the lane after the rape and murder of Manoroma which had brought the entire state to protest against the atrocities of AFSPA, Manipur is presently broken into two different states with no solution for normalcy to return immediately.

Meira Paibi, the mothers’ group which the 12 protesting mothers had represented, are under severe criticism for instigating mob violence against Kuki-Zo communities.

The AFSPA has been reinstated and extended.

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