India News Online » News Analysis » Indian Politics » 

Manipur : “Missing children” row

	July 21, 2008

Rattled by reports of missing children in the past few weeks, the Manipur Government on July 17 made it mandatory for all children between 10 and 16 years to be accompanied by parents or relatives every time they step out of the house.



Director General of Police Yumnam Joykumar Singh, while announcing the rules, said any child travelling without his/her parents or guardians would be detained.



Likewise, any adult found accompanying a child who was not a relative could be detained for questioning, he said.



Over the past few weeks, at least 17 children have been reported missing from the Imphal Valley. Twelve children have disappeared from their neighbourhoods since May 1.



While four have come back - two were returned by a militant group saying they were underage - the rest are still missing.



The police said some of these children have been lured away by the groups to join the armed movement.



“There are reports that underground militant outfits are forcibly recruiting young boys of 10 to 14 years of age against (the) wishes of the boys and their parents. Such forcible re¬cruitment have been reported from areas like Andro in Imphal East and Sekmaijin in Imphal West,” said a directive issued by Joyku¬mar Singh to all district superintendents of police.



He said these boys were likely to be transported to militant hideouts at Keibul Lamajao and other sanctuaries near Loktak lake or taken to camps in Myanmar through border towns of Moreh.





Women take lead as Kukis protest ‘fake’ encounter deaths



Women members of the Kuki community on July 13 heaped scorn on the Manipur Government in separate protests against alleged fake encounter killings of “innocent” civilians by police commandos and security forces.



Women under the banner of Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Lup marched to Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh’s office ignoring the presence of a posse of policemen present there.



Slogans like “Step down terrorist government,” “Punish killer commandos” and “Stop killing innocents” rent the air. They staged a sit-in for nearly an hour in front of the Chief Minis¬ter’s office-cum-residential complex before being dispersed by the police. The protest, however, remained peaceful.



The police and the Assam Rifles have been killing “suspected militants” almost daily in Manipur. In the past few weeks, 17 persons have died either in joint operations or separate offen¬sives. The forces claim to have seized hand grenades and small arms, including pistols and revolvers.



The demonstration was held with active support of the Apunba Lup, an umbrella organisation of various citizens’ organi¬sations that has been spearheading the campaign against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.



“The government was remaining silent over daily custodial killings. Can the police kill a man? There are courts. Even if a militant is arrested, he should be given the chance of a fair trial. The government is killing citizens daily instead of pro¬tecting them,” the president of the Meira Paibi Lup, Memchoubi Devi, said.



In Imphal East district, over a thousand protesters staged a sit-in against the killings of Thangtinsei Kipgen, 25, and Limlenbert Hangsing, 25, alias Bertneo.



Thangtinsei, a student of L.M.S. Law College, Imphal and Limlenbert, a footballer, were Kukis and residents of New Lambu¬lane of Imphal East. They were killed by the police and BSF on Friday at Sanjenbam in Imphal East.



A joint action committee of various Kuki organisations was formed to protest the killings. Local MLA and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Yumkham Erabot Singh participated in the sit-in. He voiced concern over the “daily killings” but declined further comments.





Probe against commandos begins



Manipur police, already plagued by allegations of fake encounters, on July 14 began a probe against five police commandos who had reportedly robbed three youths, including the son of a senior official, of cash and valuables. The commandos also allegedly beat them up.



The Superintendent of Police, Imphal West, L. Kailun, ini¬tiated an inquiry against the five police commandos, including an officer and a sub-inspector, who had allegedly robbed Ziaur Rahaman Saha, 26, son of the Chief Engineer of the Minor Irrigation Department, A.R. Saha, and his two friends on Saturday night.



Though the accused are yet to be placed under suspension, they have been put off-duty and asked not to leave the Imphal West commando complex.



Though the Left decided to part ways with the Congress over the nuclear deal at the Centre, CPI leaders told its Manipur unit not to withdraw from the Congress-led Secular Progressive Front Ministry headed by Okram Ibobi Singh.



“Our general secretary A.B. Bardhan, told us not to withdraw from the SPF and continue to be with the Congress,” B. Sharma, a CPI leader, said on July 16.