Manipur rights panel asks govt to expedite probe of incidents, recover looted arms, deport immigrants

Imphal: The Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) recommended the state government to expedite all the investigations being carried out in connection with ethnic violence that broke out since May 3 and to recover the looted thousands of arms and ammunition from the police armouries during the riot.

Besides the Manipur police, the Manipur government has handed over many cases to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Government should also take up necessary action to expedite the process of identification and deportation of illegal immigrants who entered the territory of India without any valid documents, the MHRC recommendations said.

The MHRC headed by its Chairperson Justice Utpalendu Bikas Saha (retd) visited many districts of Manipur including Kakching, Tengnoupal, Bishnupur, Kamjong, Imphal East and Imphal West and met the thousands of displaced people sheltered in the relief camps in these districts.

Commission sources said that the MHRC Chairperson after talking with the distressed and violence affected people learnt their miseries, basic requirements, difficulties and opinions.

Justice Saha during his visit to the troubled districts also discussed the prevailing situations with various non-government organisations of both Meitei and Kuki communities.

On the basis of the information, scarcities of the relief camp inmates, difficulties suggestions, grievances acquired during the visit of the MHRC team, the rights panel made nine points recommendations to Manipur Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi.

The MHRC suggested that the government should provide Rs 50,000 to those students who sustained severe injuries, as announced by the Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, if not done yet.

Regarding the quantum of compensation for other injured persons, how much compensation is going to be paid, the commission may be informed as they are also entitled compensation according to their injury, it said.

The rights panel also suggested the Health Department make arrangements for a ‘staff nurse’ to visit the relief camps on a daily basis and to provide essential medicines to the displaced people including those medicines as and when the consulting doctor prescribes.

Noting the efforts of the government in recovering arms and ammunition which were looted during the ethnic violence from police armouries and Churachandpur Gun House, the MHRC further reiterated that the government should take up further necessary action to recover arms and ammunition from any unauthorised person including extremists as such arms may be used for extortion and other illegal activities, which would lead to violation of human rights.

The government of Manipur in consultation with the Union Ministry of Home Affairs shall take up necessary action against the militant groups belonging to both communities to prevent any untoward incidents including their illegal activities and extortions in order to ensure that human rights of the citizens are protected.

Peace in Manipur cannot be restored, unless security and human rights of the peoples are provided in the true sense, the MHRC recommendations said.

It said: “Government should also take up necessary action to dismantle all the illegal bunkers and other unauthorised barricades being built and erected, if any, by any unauthorised persons.”