IMPHAL, April 29: As a part of the nation-wide campaign, Hyderabad Manipuri Society (HYMS), in association with the Students Union of University of Hyderabad and Manipuri students held a protest cum condolence meeting at the university campus today, a press release said.
The campaign was attended by more than one hundred and fifty persons from different walks of life, from different region and states. The event, created by HYMS, demands an immediate action from Karnataka police and government, stated the press statement of the Hyderabad Manipuri Society.
It further continued that the event for Loitam Richard had silent protest-rally and observed two minutes silence for the departed soul.
Amidst candles and slogans, people gathered for the event condemned the homicide and demanded that justice be brought. One of the speakers, Rajeev Rahi, a Ph.D student of Hindi literature, questioned the system and how this system for its own existence has killed so many people particularly from the minority sections, the statement said.
He further called Indian Democracy a pseudo and we as people have to fight against such a hegemonic and oppressive system, the statement added.
Another speaker, Phani while echoing Rajeev’s point maintained how institutional system is killing instead of grooming them for the future.
He also referred to Dona Silva Sangma, the girl from Meghalaya who committed suicide allegedly after she was caught using unfair means; he also referred to Irom Sharmila to bring out how minority are treated in this country which is supposedly the largest democracy in the world, the statement added.
Zameer, another Ph.D Scholar and Manjoy Lourembam who represented HYMS also spoke on the occasion.
Few of the media houses which came to cover the event took interviews of people gathered.
Thongam Bipin, a Ph.D student in University and also the Cultural coordinator of HYMS points out the possibility of racial discrimination and abuses.
Other speakers also condemned the insensitivity of college administration and Karnataka police, the statement added.
In this regard, HYMS stands for justice for Loitam Richard and his family. It believes that Richard could be anybody and it could happen to anybody. Though the issue has a possible tinge of racial discrimination, HYMS would choose to remain mum for the moment. We will wait for the findings because we believe that the police and other higher authorities can no longer remain silent. At this hour, HYMS condemns Richard’s killing in the strongest possible terms and extends our support. Richard’s case is a reminiscence of nth number of such killings. We demand an end to this and justice be brought and the case should be handed over to CBI, the statement added.
