Kidnappers In Khaki

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From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 35, Dated September 05, 2009 CURRENT AFFAIRS   child rights Kidnappers In Khaki Manipur’s security forces detain an 11-year-old girl to force her parents out of hiding. TERESA REHMAN reports on the insurgency’s latest victim Battlelines The unending clash between security forces and civilians in Manipur has ruined the fabric of the state Photo: SHAILENDRA PANDEY FOUR DAYS after personnel from a combined team of the Imphal West Commandoes and 12th Maratha Light Infantry picked her up from her home in Imphal Mayang, 11-year-old Salam Bidyarani Devi lies listless at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal. Tended to by five aged women, Bidyarani complains of breathlessness, murmurs incoherently and stares into nothingness. She’s so afraid of strangers that she refuses to let the five women — one of whom is her grandmother — leave her bedside. Bidyarani, a Class VI student of Immanuel Grace Academy in Nongmaikhong was picked up by security forces on August 14 when they came looking for her parents for allegedly harbouring militants and hiding their ammunition. Since her parents were not at home at the time of the incident, Bidyarani was taken to the Imphal Mayang police station and later admitted to a private clinic at night. She was released on August 18 after police arrested her parents. The Bidyarani case has attracted global attention and Amnesty International has called for an immediate investigation and action against the policemen involved in the incident. “The targeting of a minor by armed forces is a shameful act. It is a direct violation of the Child Rights Convention. All law enforcement agencies should be trained to deal with children. A lot of things could have been avoided in this case,” said Madhu Malhotra, a Deputy Program Director of Amnesty International to TEHELKA. Salam Bidyarani was released on August 18 only after police arrested her parents The police, however, maintain that the girl was not arrested. They claim she was hospitalised after she fainted on seeing the team arrive at her house to search it. They say that because her parents had fled and there was nobody to attend to her, she was accompanied by her grandmother to the clinic. The police statement further states that at about 3:30pm on August 15, when the girl’s condition improved, she was brought to Imphal Mayang police station along with her grandmother for safe custody. Police claim that since nobody came to ask for Bidyarani and because her grandmother refused to take her home “fearing a gun battle between the security forces and militants,” she stayed at the police station till August 18 when she was finally handed her over to her maternal uncle. But the police version is questionable. A joint team of Childline Imphal, the Child Welfare Committees of Imphal West and Thoubal district and a representative of the state’s Social Welfare Department on August 19 conducted an on-the-spot enquiry. A copy of the findings of the enquiry (available with TEHELKA) clearly states that Bidyarani was forcefully picked up by the security forces after a prolonged scuffle between them and the women of the neighbourhood. Women constables were called only when the combined team was about to leave the place with the detained child. The report also states that though she was detained at about 9:30am, she was admitted at the clinic only at 3:00 pm (as per the clinic’s record). In the five-and-a-half hours she was with the security forces, she remained unconscious. Even though she urgently needed medical attention, the 11-year-old was kept at the police station. What is startling is that Bidyarani was admitted to a private clinic instead of the government primary health centre, which is much closer to the police station. ‘THE POLICE VIOLATED THE JUVENILE JUSTICE ACT. SHE IS COMPLETELY TRAUMATISED.’ ANNIE NANGSATABAM, Chairperson, Child Welfare Committee AFTER SHE WAS discharged from the clinic on the following day (August 15) at about 9:00 am, Bidyarani was taken to the Imphal Mayang Police Station by some uniformed women constables. When she and her grandmother insisted that they be allowed to return home, they were told that she would be freed only after her parents were handed over to the police. When the investigating team visited the Imphal Mayang Police Station where Bidyarani was detained, they found out that she had been made to stay in a cramped room. She was released on August 18, 2009 – only after her parents were arrested. On August 23, a protest rally was taken out in Nongmaikhong area by school students denouncing Bidyarani’s detention. They demanded that the government rehabilitate the girl and bear the cost of her treatment. They also called for a judicial inquiry into the incident. Annie Nangsatabam, chairperson of the Child Welfare Committee, Imphal West who was part of the enquiry team told TEHELKA that this was a clear case of police highhandedness. “She was kept in conditions not permitted by the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2006. It’s a violation of her rights under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. She is completely traumatised,” she says. Nangsatabam adds that they would pressurise the government to ensure that the rights of children are not violated like this anymore and stated that the use of children as pawns in counter-insurgency operations must end. From Tehelka Magazine, Vol 6, Issue 35, Dated September 05, 2009

Child rights activitists seek Governor’s intervention

source- Imphal Free Press

12 hours, 49 minutes, 7 seconds ago
Imphal, Aug 24: A joint memorandum submitted to the Governor Gurbachan Jagat by the Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) and Coalition on Children’s Right to Protection (CCRP) sought the immediate intervention of the Governor to protect the basic child rights of the deprived children who are caught in conflict situation.The joint memorandum sumitted on August 22 by Montu Ahanthem convenor of MACR and S Sharaju Devi convenor CCRP demanded the Governor of Manipur to intervence and to take up prompt action to give befitting legal punishment to the culprits, as well as to give all possible help to victim families.In case of the late Th Rabina the release further said that she was killed along with a seven months foetus in her womb. It also said the unborn child could have been saved had the authorities acted promptly and with care.However, irresponsible police personnel took no step towards this end and instead dumped her body in the RIMS morgue.The memorandum futher mentioned that the state should be held responsible for murdering of a seven month unborn child and the victim’s family must be compensated for the murder of two persons, Rabina and her child.Further the state should sponsor full education support to Rabina’s three years old son since the boy was deeply traumatized as his mother was killed brutally before his own eyes and long term psychological effect is imminent.The memorandum also demanded booking and punishment of the police personnel and security personnel for the wrongful detention of Salam Bidyarani Devi, 11, at Mayang Imphal police station from August 14 to 18.The state should sponsor the medical expenses of the child who is now under treatment at RIMS psychiatry ward as she became so traumatized following the incident.It also demanded the state to be compelled to sponsor her education as compensation for torturing her psychologically through arbitrary detention and humiliation.It said the arbitrary detention of Salam Bidyarani Devi is unconstitutional and violates Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Act 2006 and provision of UN Convention on Rights.Raising the issue of the incident that occured in the areas of Hundung Godah Shakok and Loushing Khunthak in Ukhrul district the memorandum demanded immediate measures to sanitize the areas where heavy shelling has been carried out by Assam Rifles on and August 12 and 13, as the surrounding villager are still fearful of venturing out to their paddy fields and jungle lest they step on unexploded bombs.It also demanded compensation for the losses and added that due to the heavy shelling children of the areas are unable to concentrate in their studies because of the traumatic situation.The joint memorandum also demanded the state to set up adequate number of shelter home and children home for girl children since the state has only one girl shelter home till date.It also demanded the repeal of Arm Force (Special Powers) Act 1958 from the state.The two organisation also submitted separate memrandums to the Chairperson, National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPR) New Delhi to intevene and protect rights of the conflict inflicted children of Manipur in parlicular and human rights of the people in general.The memrandums elaborated the magnitude of victimising the innocent children in the unsafe enviroment of this conflict torn state can be seen in the incident of wrongful detention of one eleven years old Salam Bidyarani Devi of Nongmaikhong by the state police who was picked up by a combined security forces on August 14 just on the eve of Independence Day of India.

Memorandum to Hon. Governor of Manipur by MACR & CCRP

Memorandum submitted to His Excellency the Governor of Manipur for kind intervention to protect the basic child rights of the deprived children who are caught in conflict situation in the state.


Your Excellency,

We the undersigned, on behalf of the people of Manipur hereby submit the memorandum with an earnest hope that your Excellency will intervene the matter and deliver justice.


1. In the firing incident of 23 July, 2009 occurred at B.T. Road Imphal in which Ch. Sanjit Meitei and one pregnant woman Mrs Th. Rabina Devi were killed, we demand your kind intervention to take up prompt action to give befitting legal punishment to the culprits and any kind of possible help to the deceased families.


2. In case of Rabina, since she was killed along with a 7 month unborn child (foetus) in her womb, it was a fact that the aforesaid child could have been saved, had the police rushed Rabina to hospital immediately. However, irresponsible police personnel took no step to save the life of Rabina and her unborn child, the dead body remained lying flat, unattended on the roadside for about 2 hours. Police latter dumped the body very ruthlessly into a lorry and placed thereafter into RIMS morgue directly.

3. State should be held responsible for murdering of seven month unborn child of Rabina. Rabina’s family must be compensated with for murdering of two persons, Rabina and her child.


4. State should sponsor full educational support to the 3 years old son of late Rabina. Since the 3 years old boy was deeply traumatized as his mother was brutally killed before his very sight and long term psychological negative effect to the child is very imminent.

5. State should book and punish police personal and security personnel involved in wrongful detention of one eleven year girl child Baby Salam Bidyarani Devi at Mayang Imphal police station from 14 to 18 August, 2009.


6. State should sponsor medical treatment of baby S. Bidyarani, who is under treatment at RIMS Psychiatry ward as she became so traumatized following the incident. The arbitrary detention of the girl child is unconstitutional and violation of Juvenile Justice (care & protection of Children) Amendment Act. 2006.

7. State should give financial support and sponsor her education as a compensation for torturing the child psychologically through arbitrary detention and humiliation.

8. State should take up immediate measures to stop further traumatizing activities of Assam Rifles to maintain peaceful environment in hill districts particularly at Ukhrul district.


9. Urged upon to bring a peaceful and secured environment in hill areas, particularly in Ukhrul district for enabling the children to attend their schools normally.

10. State should set up adequate number of Shelter Home and Children Homes for girl child since the state has only one girl shelter home till now.

11. State should arrange necessary measures to make functional of all the educational institutions in the state, so that the right to education of the children are not deprived further amidst the unrest political situation in the state.

Yours sincerely,
MACR and CCRP

An Appeal from MACR & CCRP Manipur

For the last one month Manipur has been reeling under an unprecedented turmoil with prolonged imposition of curfew besides general strikes, mass court arrest, state wide sit-in protest urging the immediate resignation of Chief Minister O. Ibobi Singh, punishment of police commandos involved in 23rd July incident in which one Chungkham Sanjit Meitei was killed in a fake encounter at B.T. Road Imphal by police commandos. One pregnant young woman Ms Rabina Devi was also killed by the stray bullet of commandos just before they killed Sanjit in cold blood besides injuring five other people. The normal life of the people of the state is totally crippled, while children at large being traumatized and are deprived of the right to education.
In the meantime, the magnitude of victimizing the innocent children in the unsafe environment of this conflict torn state can be seen in the incident of wrongful detention of one eleven years old Salam Bidyarani Devi by state police. The 11 year old girl child Salam Bidyarani Devi of Nongmaikhong Awang Leikai, Thoubal District, daughter of S. Devan Singh was picked up by a combined force of Manipur police and security personal of 12 Martha Light Infantry on 14 August, 2009 just on the eve of independence day of India, during a combing operation from the house of this child. The girl child who is a student of class VI in Emmanual Grace Academy, Nongmaikhong was picked up by police as they could not apprehend the parents who freed away leaving the child alone. Police detained the child at their custody at Mayang Imphal Police Station till 18th August, 2009. She was released at the late night of 18 August following a strong pressure from media, civil society organizations and NGOs. The child was brought home at around 4.30 P.M. of 19th August in a traumatic mental state. She got fainted now and then and not in a condition to response to the query of media and right activists. Now she is undergoing treatment at Psychiatry Ward of Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) Imphal. Medical support to the poor child and bringing justice to her is highly needed. Members of Manipur Alliance for Child Rights (MACR) and Coalition on Children Right to Protection (CCRP) Manipur took part in the initiative of her safe release.

However, police defended themselves saying they did not arrest Bidyarani, but gave her medical care by admitting her at one private hospital and later kept her at their custody as no responsible male guardian of the girl child was not available to whom she would be handed over. Field report contradicted the police version and stated that police picked the child and detained for many days at their captivity telling the girl would not be released until and unless the parents of Bidyarani are produced before the police. Policed charged the parents of the girl child to be the sympathizers of PLA, an insurgent outfit. This arbitrary detention of an innocent girl child reveals the collapsing juvenile justice system in the state and failure of rule of law at large.


The state is virtually under fire, with publication of sequential photographs by Tehalka showing how did Manipur Police Commandos apprehend and killed Mr. Chungkham Sanjit Meitai after taken him into a nearby Pharmacy at B.T. Road Imphal on 23rd July, 2009. Apunba Lup an apex body of civil society bodies launched a series of agitation by calling a two day general strike on 3-4 August. They demanded the immediate resignation of CM O. Ibobi owning the moral responsibility for giving a false statement of the 23/7 incident in the Assembly. Following the Telhalka’s exposure, Manipur govt. had put 5 police commando under suspension and judicial inquiry was announced. However Apunba Lup demanded an exemplary action against the guilty police personnel who killed Sanjit in fake encounter only to justify their previous action causing the murder of a pregnant woman.



In the case of the pregnant mother a seer negligence and irresponsible nature of the police was reflected. Firstly, the bullet ridden body of Rabina Devi remained lying on the road side for around 2 hours, while her 3 years old son was crying besides her. Secondly, Police roughly dumped her body in a iron lorry along with the death body of Sanjit much after the first incident, and placed the two death bodies at morgue. Police did not take any conscious step to evacuate Rabina from the spot, and no possible process was considered to save the life of an unborn child still surviving inside the womb. Anybody could recognize that the woman was pregnant since she bore visible physical appearance of a pregnant woman. One senior nurse of RIMS hospital who examined her dead body later commented that she was conceived with a 7 month fetus and the unborn child could had been saved, had the police brought her body to hospital in time. This also the vivid example of denying the right of a child ( though unborn) to life by the state.

The Apunba Lup’s mass agitation kicked off on 3rd August by calling 2 day general strike. In order to suppress the simultaneous agitation of the enraged people, state imposed curfew in Greater Imphal which was latter extended to whole Imphal east and west district since late evening of 4th August. Police resorted ruthless violent action against the agitators using mock bombs, tear gas, rubber bullets and in many cases they fired real bullets. Many agitators inflicted injuries and one of the agitators lost his eyes due to bullet injury and now struggling for life. All the schools run by both private and government in the two district, remained closed from 4th August uptil 16th August. Schools reopened on 17th August as curfew was lifted for 12 Hours from 6 A.M., however compelled to close down again subsequently on 18 and 19 August as there were two days general strike being called by Apunba Lup. Still uncertainty is looming large and possibility imposition of curfew is very high. The prevailing situation and decision of the state grossly affects the academic atmosphere of the students and normal life of the people at large. An amicable democratic solution is highly called for. We appealed all concern to extend your possible solidarity, intervention and co-operation to protect rights of the conflict inflicted children of Manipur in particular and human rights of the people in general.


Issued by
Manipur Alliance for Child Rights &
Coalition on Children’s Rights to Protection, Manipur.

Street protests turn violent-Manipur police arrest parents of teenaged girl, deny detaining her

OUR CORRESPONDENT- TELEGRAPH

Imphal, Aug. 19: Protesters turned violent on the second day of the Apunba Lup-sponsored strike in Manipur as the state continued to remain shut in protest against the alleged fake encounter killing of Ch. Sanjit and Rabina Devi by police commandos.
Police this morning also arrested Sama Dewan and Memocha Devi, parents of 11-year-old Salam Bidyarani, who was taken away by police when she was alone at home on August 14. They were picked up from Phaobakchao in Imphal West.
Senior superintendent of police L. Kailun said Dewan and Memocha were supporters of the Peoples Liberation Army and arranged for shelter for its cadres and even hoarded arms and ammunition. A PLA member arrested from Thongju in Imphal East this morning tipped the police off on Dewan and Memocha.
After the couple confessed today, the police found two AK-series rifles, one lethod gun and bombs, hand grenades and ammunition from their fish farm at Nongmaikhong in Bishnupur district under Mayang Imphal police station.
On Salam Bidyarani, the police officer said on seeing the security personnel, the girl had fallen unconscious. As there was no one around to attend to her, the policemen took her, along with her two grandmothers, and admitted her to a private clinic at Mayang Imphal. The girl was discharged the next day. But as no responsible person came forward and the two grandmothers refused to take the girl away saying they were afraid of the security personnel in the village, they stayed at the police station along with a policewoman. “There was no question of arrest or detention of the girl,” he said.
Bidyarani is now in the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) where doctors said she was suffering from “acute mental trauma”.
Earlier today, children’s rights activists rushed to Nongmaikhong village of Bishnupur district from where the police had picked up Bidyarani.
“We were shocked by the detention of a minor girl at a police station. We went to the village to investigate the case and see the mental and physical condition of the child. We will take whatever action that is necessary after studying the police action and condition of the child,” said Mala Lisam, centre coordinator of Imphal Childline.
“I was taken to the police station and kept there. I stayed with my grandmother Ningol at the police station. They did not do me any harm,” Bidyarani told the team.
Normal life was completely paralysed throughout the state for the second consecutive day because the strike called by Apunba Lup which ended at 5 this afternoon. Another strike called by Naga organisations — led by the United Naga Council in four Naga-dominated hill districts of Ukhrul, Senapati, Tamenglong and Chandel — ended at midnight last night. The Nagas had called the bandh against an operation by Assam Rifles in Ukhrul district in which two NSCN (I-M) cadres were killed last week.
More protesters turned out on the streets on the concluding day of the Apunba Lup strike in the valley, burning tyres on highways, setting fire to effigies of chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh, his wife and MLA Landhoni Devi and director-general of police Yumnam Joykumar Singh in various parts of the valley.
Strike supporters went on the rampage damaging several vehicles at Yumnam Leikai and Chingmeirong, both in Imphal West. They pelted stones and used clubs to target passing vehicles and two-wheelers.
The police burst teargas shells and exploded mock bombs to scare away the protesters in both the areas. There was no report of any injury.
Sit-ins were also held in many places in Imphal West and Imphal East.
The Ibobi Singh government has been maintaining silence over the increasing public ire against his inaction over the July 23 killings.
Though Ibobi Singh announced a judicial inquiry on August 5, the government is yet to find a high court judge for the probe. The suspension of seven police commandos involved in the city shootout could not calm the agitators.The protesters are demanding Ibobi Singh’s resignation, the dismissal of and prison terms for the commandos.

Indian anger over 'arrested' girl

By Subir Bhaumik BBC News, Calcutta

Hundreds of angry protesters have defied a curfew in the Indian state of Manipur, to demand the release of an 11-year-old girl held by troops. Reports say that the girl was taken by security forces after they failed to find her father, suspected of links to separatist rebels. The girl is reported to have some physical disabilities. Troops were conducting a search operation in Imphal, the capital of the north-eastern state. Salam Dewan, the father of the abducted girl, said his daughter should be returned immediately and he was ready to face questioning.
Imphal has been hit by protests against the security forces "I am no rebel or insurgent, just a poor farmer. The government have no right to harass us like this just because we are poor," Mr Dewan said. Manipur has seen security operations against separatist groups since 1980.
But there has been no statement from the security forces about this incident.
Hundreds of local people turned out in the streets of Imphal to demand the girl's unconditional release. A group formed to demand the release of the child claimed that police had been demanding a bribe to release her. "This is the limit of brutality and inhuman behaviour. How can men in uniform kidnap a minor girl just because they cannot find her father? " said Pholindro Konsam, convenor of the Apunba Lup, a group of militant Manipuri student and youth organisations.
"Salam was away, so the soldiers and policemen took away his disabled daughter and that has outraged the people of the locality," said Ningthoujam Memchatombi, convenor of the Joint Action Committee. "This is the ultimate in brutality. "
'Fake encounter'
The Apunba Lup has been leading a public campaign against suspected extra-judicial killings and illegal detention by security forces.

It is also demanding the abolition of a special law giving sweeping powers to troops on counter-insurgency duty.
The government maintains the law is necessary to restore normalcy to the troubled state.
Apunba Lup began its campaign after the alleged killing of a local youth, Chungkham Sanjit, by the police commandos in Imphal recently.
Mr Sanjit was suspected of being a militant of a separatist group. Officials denied allegations of an extra-judicial killing. But Indian weekly magazine Tehelka carried pictures Mr Sanjit being dragged into a shopping mall by security forces and his lifeless body being dragged back into a police vehicle.

This is not the end, torture and fake killing is increasing day by day. Remove AFSPA

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