Guilty. This is what the Court has ruled and come January 11 then the world will know how long Nongthombam Ajay, son of former Minister and a well known personality N Biren, will be incarcerated in jail. This much is clear. What however is not that clear, is how it will impact on the political career of his father, the man who has won from Heingang Assembly Constituency for three consecutive terms, making his Assembly debut in 2002. There is a lesson to be learnt here, especially for the young people, who parents are well placed in society and are public figures. Significantly, Ajay has been convicted under Section 304 Part II of the IPC (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), making it clear that it was not a premeditated murder, but triggered by a burst of anger or a case of road rage. With Assembly election just two months away, the Court’s verdict could not have come at more inopportune moment for N Biren, but this is how justice works and it may safely be said that the other candidates, who are getting ready to jump into the election arena at Heingang Assembly Constituency will leave no stone unturned to hark on this and rejig people’s memory of what happened way back in 2011. Nearly six years it took for the Court to come out with the conviction and while the tears of the parents, family members and friends of the late Irom Roger may have dried, the pain must still be lingering in their hearts. Here is hoping and praying that the verdict of the Court goes some way in giving them the healing touch.
Let this story serve as a reminder to all the youngsters and everyone that what one does can adversely impact on other family members. It is N Ajay who has been convicted by the Court but the possibility of it affecting his father cannot be ruled out that easily and this is where responsibilities of every member of the family become extremely important. True, why should others be penalised for the wrongs committed by a member of the family, but human nature is such that what one does can go a long way in impacting the fate of other family members. This is a lesson which all should learn from the tragedy of Irom Roger and now N Ajay. Let this also be an opportunity to other candidates at Heingang Assembly Constituency not to unduly politicise the issue to deliver a point or two against the father of the convict, for that would not be doing justice to the case. At least allow the soul of Irom Roger to rest in peace and do not use the tragedy of his story to make a political statement during the coming election. That would not be doing justice to the late soul and it would only be right for all to give the right opportunity to the young convict to reform himself, after all this is what the ultimate end of justice should be.
Source: The Sangai Express
