IMPHAL, February 5: The two JACs formed in connection with the killing of Sanjit and Rabina on July 23, 2009 have today jointly appealed to the people of the State and the civil society organisations for support in their movement seeking rightful justice in the case.
The appeal has come close on the heels of Manipur Police Head Constable Thounaojam Herojit confessing before the media, of his part in killing Sanjit which had created quite a stir in the national as well as State media.
“So far, the State government has not admitted its fault, even though head constable Herojit has made his heroic confession of killing Chungkham Sanjit recently, and we pray to all the concerned authorities to bring justice,” co-convenor of JAC (Rabina), Th Shila Devi said during a daylong ‘convention on extrajudicial killing of civilians’ in Manipur organised by the Threatened Indigenous Peoples Society (TIPS) at Imphal’s Palace Compound today.
A large number of people including students, CSOs leaders, human rights activists attended the convention, wherein an eight-point resolution was adopted.
The resolutions include demands for re-investigation of the daylight killing of Rabina and Sanjit on July 23, 2009; an end of the institutionalisation and legalisation provided by the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958.
The meeting also resolved to demand the government to find a solution to the Indo-Manipur Political Conflict through political dialogue and that “Armed Opposition Groups” arrested during the Indo-Manipur conflict should be treated as political prisoners.
Other resolutions adopted included demands for revival of the Manipur State Human Right Commission, and for both the State and Centre to honour the Justice Jeevan Reddy Committee recommendation on AFSPA and the Fifth Report on Public Order of the 2nd Administrative Reform Commission (ARC) and repeal of the AFSPA.
The meeting also resolved to form an alliance of human rights groups under the banner “Alliance for Huma Rights Movement in Manipur to look into the issues of human rights violation in the State and to submit a memorandum including the recommendations to the Prime Minister and other related authorities.
Meanwhile, speaking at the convention, convenor of the Sanjit JAC Ph Anita said earlier reports had suggested that Rabina was killed by a gun shot by Sanjit.
She further said that Sanjit might be a former member of an armed outfit, but he had returned to the mainstream and had gone to buy medicine for his ailing father who was in the hospital when the incident happened.
Anita continued following the formation of the JAC against the killing, its members were frequently called by the police for interrogation.
She said the demand for justice in the case is not the sole responsibility of the two JACs but of the people of Manipur.