From fibbing to now omitting names. The State Government seems to be playing with fire. On July 13, the counsel of the State Government had submitted before the Supreme Court that compensation to the next of kins of the victims, identified by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has been paid. However at least family members of 11 such victims came out openly and negated the claim of the State Government, stating that they have not received a single paise. This was in addition to the State Government turning a deaf ear to the recommendations of the NHRC to pay a sum of Rs 5 lakh each to the family members of the victims and the Supreme Court had to step in and slap a fine of Rs 50 thousand for not heeding the recommendations of the NHRC in December last year. Now the latest is the case of whittling down the number of victims from 34 to 28. Who is responsible for this ? The question is what has happened to the 6 victims. Has the State Government misplaced the records of the six victims ? Moreover why was only Rs 4 lakh paid to the next of kins of a victim in Tamenglong district, though the order was to pay Rs 5.5 lakh ? What has happened to the Rs 1.5 lakh ? These are all questions which the State Government need to explain to the people of Manipur.
No amount of money will bring back the dead but in ordering the State Government to cough up the money for those killed, the NHRC and the Supreme Court are delivering the statement that no one has the right to arbitrarily eliminate anyone. There is always the rule of law to pull up law breakers or anyone and hard to digest that for years the State Government gave the license to kill to some of its personnel. The admission of suspended Head Constable Th Herojit should give weightage to the feeling that for too long the State Government has been giving the free hand to some of its personnel to kill at will. What is frightening to note is the chain of command that comes in as per the confession of the suspended Head Constable. If one goes by what Herojit has had to contend then it shows that wanton killings had the blessings from the very top. All those responsible for running the affairs of the Government should be made answerable. The practise of fibbing and spinning out yarns should stop now. More than enough damage has been done.
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