'I do not feel safe any more'

By W. Joykumar

(As told to Mr Irengbam Arun)

I am no more at peace at my home in the village. I do not feel safe any more. At the workplace, I always worry about my wife, my children and other family members.

My life has been like this, ever since I was threatened by an 'Army' Captain on June 28 this year, for doing human rights work in my locality. He said, 'Stop your work or face the consequences'.

My village Huikap is only 25 kms from Imphal, but it is on the other side of the Nongmaijing Hills and fairly isolated. I started as a student activist and later joined a local NGO as a Community Worker.

I am an active member of the Joint Action Committee which took up the case of a 14-year boy, Sanamacha, from the nearby village of Angtha, who disappeared in army custody.

During the Sanamacha agitation, I came across many of the leading human rights defenders of the State; I became involved in human rights awareness campaigns in the Yairipok area. Then, the threats began.

On June 27, at around 6.30 p.m., I was stopped by members of the Assam Rifles. They took away my Identity Card and told me to collect it the next morning from the Assam Rifles camp in Yairipok. They also cautioned me not to go to the police and if I did not come at the camp next morning, they would come to my house at night and the consequences would not be good.

Next morning, at 7.30 a.m., I went to the camp and was met by a Captain. He took me alone to a room and questioned about two complaints filed with the Manipur Human Rights Commission.

One complaint was regarding the suicide of a 14-year old girl after she was detained by the Assam Rifles and questioned about her alleged links with the member of an underground militant group. Her interrogation was made public at a village meeting convened by the Captain. She must have been deeply hurt by that.

The Captain said, he was in trouble because of the complaint and it was because of me that such complaints were coming up in the Commission. He threatened to have me killed unless I stopped my human rights awareness campaign in the area. He also threatened that it was very easy to plant evidence against me or have me charged with giving support to armed groups.

The threats and intimidation continued till 2.30 in the afternoon. The Captain or other personnel did not lay a hand on me during the interrogation. But, I was made to sign a statement that I was in good health when I left the camp. I thought it was strange. Because I heard that only people who were beaten up or tortured were made to sign such statements.

After I was released from army custody, I lodged a complaint with the Yairipok Police Station on July 4 regarding the threat and intimidation, as a precaution.

I thought, I was doing the right thing. But to my surprise, when I returned home after work on July 10, my younger brother told me that the Captain had come in the morning and I was to come to the camp again, failing which they would come and raid my house.

That time, I did not go. Instead, I went to Imphal, consulted some friends and made up my mind to seek help from the newly formed Manipur Human Rights Commission. A formal complaint was filed with the Commission on July 12, that 'my life is in danger'. The Commission asked the Manipur Police to ensure my safety and security.

The case was also referred to the National Human Rights Commission, as the State Commission was not empowered to take up cases involving the armed forces.

I did not return home, as I was afraid the Captain might take offence at my complaint. So, I went to my place of work in another District in Manipur and stayed there for a few days.

In the meantime, Amnesty International issued an Urgent Action appeal on my behalf on July 14, through the efforts of fellow human rights defenders.

The police took my statement on July 18. I asked the police to restrain the Captain from giving me physical and mental harassment, so that I could live with my family and perform my duties without any threat or intimidation.

For the time being, the police said, the best solution would be to stay somewhere safe, away from the village, until things cooled down.

I took the advice of the police and most of the time I stayed in the houses of relatives and friends at Imphal or at my work place. I come home occasionally to see my family, that too after taking extreme precaution.

As soon the bus reaches the highest point of the hill range, I will survey the road leading to my village. If I see any army personnel on the road, I will get down and wait for the next bus to return again to Imphal.

On September 9, I received a message from the police that they wanted to meet me and said they would come to my house next morning. So I stayed at home. But, early morning, when I was busy in my paddy fields, army troops under the command of the Captain came to the village and conducted a search and cordon operation. Luckily, I did not meet them.

When I returned from the fields, I came to know that my house was also searched and they took away my cousin without issuing an arrest memo, on false charges.

Then I knew, the Captain would get away with anything and the State police would not be able to do anything about it. So, I left home again and informed the Manipur Human Rights Commission about the latest developments.

The Chairman and members of the Commission took affront at the behaviour of the Captain. The Chairman Justice Bhargava wrote a personal letter to the GOC concerned of the army to restrain the Captain. Another Urgent Action appeal from the Amnesty International followed.

But the Captain is still operating in our area and I am still not at peace and I do not feel safe. The threat is still lurking out there, waiting to pounce on me.