Shillong, July 18: A group of people, number around Thirty (30), including women attacked the official premise of Centre for Social Development and the Women Action for Development, two civil society organizations (CSO) working for the promotion and protection of human rights, both located at the Palace Compound, Imphal Manipur on 12 July 2014 around 2 PM. Some women members of the group of people also assaulted Ms. Th Premila from Khangabok Palli Leikai, Thoubal District for seeking clarifications and resisting the attack. The incident happened in the presence of a member of Manipur Legislative Assembly, Mr. Elangbam Chand from 14-Yaiskul Assembly Constituency. Both Centre for Social Development and the Women Action for Development have long addressed numerous human rights violation issues in Manipur, ranging from the rights of women and children in armed conflict situation to land rights and promotion of indigenous peoples human rights. The representatives of the two organizations have long engaged and attended UN Sessions on human rights issues. The two organizations also strive for peaceful resolution of ongoing conflict in Manipur and to end violence against women and children, etc.
The incident happened over parking space controversy in front of the two offices. Selected youth member of locales of Palace Compound Western Side, Imphal deflated two vehicles belonging to the staff of the two organizations, parked in front of CSD and WAD near the office gate on 12 July 2014 around 2 PM. The staff members contacted Porompat police over phone and accordingly the police team rushed to the spot. The staffs requested the police officer that the matter be settled with the representatives of the unknown group of people and the Secretary of Centre for Social Development and Women Action for Development, who were out of station. When staff members of the two organization sought clarifications from the local peoples gathering there about reasons of deflating the tyres of vehicles, some local people around 8/9 people in numbers started abusing them.
Meanwhile the group of unknown people forcibly urged staff members of WAD and CSD to remove the vehicles which were parked as usual in front of their office gate and threatened to remove their vehicles using JCBs for any failure to comply at the earliest. As the staff members insisted on an amicable solutions following due process of law, a JCB soon reached. And soon after, Mr. Elangbam Chand, the local member of Manipur Legislative Assembly (MLA), arrived at the spot along with his escort team and show a proposed plan for the expansion of the road to staff members of CSD and WAD, which is supposed to be executed by the Public Works Department of the Government of Manipur. The staff members of CSD and WAD requested the MLA to give them some time so that their Chief functionary can take appropriate action, if ever there is any official notification for road expansion and also to follow due process of law for any action. Moreover, there has been no official order for expansion or widening of road issued at any point of time. Rather, the MLA urged staff of CSD and WAD to evacuate their vehicles and to facilitate him immediate execution of demolition of a small concrete block in front of the gate constructed to facilitate parking using JCB. While a conversation and discussion is going on, a woman who is worker of the MLA assaulted one of their women staff members, named Ms. Th. Premila.
Any deplorable and highly condemnable act is the MLA facilitating the assault of a women staff member of WAD by one of unknown women. Ms. Th. Premila, of WAD and a resident of Khangabok Palli Leikai Part II, Thoubal District was beaten up by one of the women, believed to a women of Palace Compound, Imphal in presence of the MLA of Yaiskul Constituency and police team while she took visual records of the entire arbitrary action unleashed by the local MLA in presence of the Manipur Police. The local who gathered also used abusive language at other women staffs of the two organizations amounting to discrimination against women. With the presence of the MLA, the police present failed to intervene to stop physical targeting of Ms. Premila.
No prior intimation of the execution plan or road expansion or any eviction order was issued to any residents or to the two offices. The action of clearing road side by an MLA without an official order of road expansion from the Public Works Department or concerned authority is simply ruthless and violated all existing rules and laws on land acquisition or eviction. The act also reflects the whimsical conduct and rampant practice of Adhocism by decision makers of the Government of Manipur, who supposedly should be representing the voice of the people and consult them for whatever action on development projects or processes. The incident is also a clear instance of how the State unleashed brutalities with impunities and without according any space and time to rectify situations. Any development process need due consultation of all members of communities. Any forced development without due process of law is clearly unacceptable. It is highly condemnable and unfortunate for the MLA to instigate mob justice and consciously becoming part of an arbitrary action, which also violates all rules of law concerning eviction and land acquisition etc. This is a clear evidence of abuse of power by the MLA. The MLA should have allowed both sides to air in their comments and find the most amicable solutions and provide adequate time for all to abide by whatever law or official notifications issued for development purpose.
Volunteers, staff members and visitors of the two organization has long been parking their vehicles in front of the office for more than two decades of the office functioning. However, there has been regular controversy over parking matters ever since the commissioning of the Advance Hospital right in front of the two organizations, CSD and WAD few years back. Moreover, the persons who involved in the mob have not lodge a complaint to the Traffic Police or Authority of Municipality concerned for the dispute of the parking if any.
In the light of the above fact and circumstances and also the violations perpetrated right in the presence of the local member of the Manipur Legislative Assembly and also the Manipur Police, both organizations have every reasonable apprehension that unknown persons would attack the two organizations, including targets to their staff members and to their visitors as well. Such uncertainty and violations will also seriously affect the activism and efforts of the two organizations to respond to some of the most pressing human rights challenges in Manipur. The recent attack also has indications of coordinated move with due invovlement of security agencies operating in Manipur.
There is urgent need to ensure that any development management, either management of parking system, or expansion of roads etc is undertaken in a truly transparent and accountability process, whereby all affected communities are accorded adequate time and spaces to make necessary changes wherever is appropriate and also to seek justice. Manipur has a tragic record and practice of Adhocism and imposition of rules without proper notification and according time and space for aggrieved communities to respond and the latest whimsical and arbitrary act of a supposedly representative of the people adds another precedence of taking laws into their own hands.
A complaint has been filed with the Porompat Police Station on the day of incident by staff members of the Women Action for Development. There is ongoing investigation from the police and no one has been arrested or indicted over the incident. The local MLA, Mr. Elangbam Chand continues be out of investigation at this point of time.
The Human Rights Initiative, the Human Rights Alert and the Centre for Research and Advocacy, Manipur would like to urge your urgent and kind action to:
Investigate, identify, prosecute and punish all those involved in the assault on Ms. Th Premila of Khangabok Palli Leikai and in the attack on both Centre for Social Development and Women Action for Development
Initiate urgent investigation and prosecute the MLA of Yaiskul Assembly constituency, Mr. Elangbam Chand for taking laws into his own land and ordering demolition of parking space without any eviction order or giving space and time to duly abide by law/official notifications
Also investigate and prosecute the Local MLA for allowing the assault of Ms Th Premila in his presence, which is very much condoning the arbitrary action and mob justice by taking laws into their own hand buy not resorting to due course of laws.
Promote the full scale protection and rights of all human rights defenders and their organizations in Manipur
Formulate specific laws to protect the rights of human rights defenders in accordance with the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. According to the statement sent by Rev PBM Basaiawmoit.(SP News)
