THOUBAL, January 20: As part of its effort to find the truth behind the discovery of the human skulls and skeletons from inside the Tombisana School campus on December 25, 2014, the Families of the Involuntarily Disappeared Association, FIDAM has initiated a campaign today to visit families of 22 individuals who are reported victims of enforced disappearance/missing suspected in the hands of security forces since 1980.
Family members of two such victims expressed dissatisfaction and lifelong distrust against the security forces today.
The FIDAM team accompanied by media persons visited the family of Mayanglambam Tombi of Kakching Khunou who went missing after security forces arrested him on December 2, 1980.
Speaking to the team, Tombi`™s brother Iboyaima said his brother who was also a disabled person was arrested by a team of the JK Light Infantry, Wapokpi near Sugunu from their house on the evening of December 2, 1980.
Tombi, who was around 25 years old then, was arrested along with Kh Thoiba of Kakching Khunou and M Ashok of Umathel on the same day, he said.
He further said that the security team brought Tombi to their house that same night with his hands bound and started searching for something inside their house. Later they took him away and since then he has never returned, Iboyaima lamented.
However, the two persons arrested along with him were released after three days, he continued.
Iboyaima said the Governor, Chief Minister and other high ranking authorities of the time were approached and appealed to find his brother but to no avail.
At last finding no other option, he said the family and other friends accompanied by the then local MLA (L) M Babu went to the Changangei Army post where they saw his brother`™s name written on a paper and underlined by red-ink and ever since then, the family predicated that his brother had been killed by the security forces and has even performed his last rites.
Iboyaima also expressed that Tombi could have been arrested on the charges of making country made guns.
He said Tombi was not an anti-social but since he was disabled he used to make things while sitting around.
Ever since the incident, he has felt complete dissatisfaction and distrust of the security forces, a teary-eyed Iboyaima told the team.
The team also visited the family of 32-years old Longjam Suresh of Top SIphai Mayai Leikai Wangoi PS who has remained missing since being abducted from his home by around six-seven individuals suspected to be security personnel coming in a Rakshak vehicle on the night of February 18, 2013.
Suresh`™s family members are still feeling uneasy whenever a security vehicle passes by.
Speaking to the team, Suresh`™s brother Sanatomba said that day, there was a feast in the locality in connection with election followed by a cinema show.
As the family like the other locals were watching the cinema show, around 6-7 Hindi speaking persons wearing combat dresses came in two-three vehicles and abducted his brother along with another local identified as Manglemba, Sanatomba said.
Manglemba was released after around three days at Koirengei, however, Suresh has never returned since then, he continued.