As many as 16 organisations of Manipur on Friday raised several questions upon Meetei Leepun concerning the allegations made against human rights defender Babloo Loitongbam of being ‘anti-Meitei’ and helping the Kuki community.
The 16 organisations are Apunba Manipur Kanba Ima Lup (AMKIL), All Manipur Tammi Chingmi Apunba Nupi Lup (Tammi Chingmi), Nongchup Imphal Palem Ima Apunba Nupi Lup (NIMPAL), Thoubal District United Women’s Development Organisation (Thoubal Ima), Ereipak Enaat Chanura Loinsinlon (EECHAL), United Peoples’ Front (UPF), All Manipur Women’s Social Reformation & Development Samaj (Nupi Samaj), Nongpok Leingak Apunba Nupi Lup (NLANL), Apunba Nupi Lup (ANUL) Bishnupur, Manipuri Chanura Leishem Marup (MACHA LEIMA), Association Manipur (EEVFAM), National Identity Protection Council (NIPCO), Manipur Peace & Integrity Council (MAPI Council), All Manipur Progressive Farmers’ Association (AMPFA), Coalition Against Drugs & Alcohol (CADA) and a leading a student body.
A joint release issued by the 16 organisations raised strong suspicions on whether those in power are involved in a ploy to tear down Babloo Loitongbam with false allegations of being an anti-Meitei.
It questioned the validity and proof of the allegations raised by Meitei Leepun that Babloo had taken money and took financial transactions. Otherwise, they are nothing sort of fabricated lies, it stated. If Babloo Loitongbam is indeed guilty of the said accusations, then there is nothing wrong in delivering appropriate legal action against him, it stated.
“Otherwise, we strongly condemn the acts of resorting to mob justice, issuing threats upon his family and prohibiting him from public appearance through intimidation. We draw the attention of the state government which is responsible for enforcing the rule of law in the state,” it added.
It stated that Mya kyay Mon is a Burmese Buddhist from Myanmar and her ethnicity is Karen. She is not even Kuki and she holds citizenship of Norway. She was apprehended from Khudengthabi on August 9, 2022 by the Assam Rifles, it mentioned.
As per the Assam Rifles, she had arrived in India on May 24, 2019 and she was apprehended for overstaying her visa and handed over the Moreh Police. She is currently lodged at the Foreigner Detention Centre of Sajiwa Jail at present, it added.
When her case arrived at the Court, the HRA, which has been empanelled by the Manipur Legal Services Authority to provide legal aid to Asylum seekers from Burma, took its duty and she was granted bail. She is awaiting trial at Women’s Home, it mentioned.
“The whole process was carried out in a transparent manner and everyone is well aware of the case. Therefore, we will never accept these allegations thrown against Babloo.”
It made a strong appeal to the public to consider these facts and “have the courage to think critically at least.” It further stated that the State Home Department must disclose the present status of the case to the public.
It urged the public to question who Babloo Loitangbam really is and whether power wielders want to shut him down.
Due to armed conflict in Manipur in early 80s, many unwanted incidents and unrest constantly took place in the state. The live of many youths were taken while many women were raped under the shadow of AFSPA, it claimed.
It was Babloo Loitongbam who fearlessly stepped up and completely exposed the atrocities of AFSPA to the world while fighting to protect the rights of the people of Manipur, it said. The brutal oppression and abuse of fundamental rights carried out by the central forces by using AFSPA in the name of counterinsurgency was raised to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) by him, it mentioned.
Even this year on July 15, he spoke at the UN Human Rights Committee highlighting the need for the people of the state to have their human rights while raising the incidents of extrajudicial killings and incidents of severe violations under the AFSPA, it said. He continues to raise these issues at different Human Rights Groups and Committees of the UN, it added.
In this manner, he had raised the case of as many as 1,528 fake encounters carried out by the security forces to the Supreme Court of India and took strenuous efforts to deliver justice to the victims, and these cases are still ongoing, it stated.
It mentioned that due to his efforts and the public movement, rights groups such as Amnesty International and other organisations of the UN started focusing on these issues. As an outcome, the daily arrests and abuses by the security forces were successfully halted, it stated.
These measures completely exposed India’s violation of human rights to the global audience, it added.
The release further questioned who has really undertaken a serious role in fighting the drug menace in the state.
It questioned who gave maximum efforts to set Drug lord, Lukhosei Zou free from his case which became a well known issue in Manipur. The people might still remember which distinguished individuals in the present state government were involved, it stated.
It mentioned that even after Lukhosei Zou was forcefully acquitted by the present state government which has overpowered the judiciary and the executive, Babloo and his team has filed a case on Supreme Court because the state government would not make an appeal to the Supreme Court. The case is still being fought at present, it added.
Moreover, Babloo continues to fight for the rights of the people. Considering the fact that he is taking a major role in the fight against drugs and human rights violations, how can we not consider that those who are deliberately attacking him are supporting fake encounters and drugs?
It also raised suspicion whether Babloo’s several works for the people of the state have become a thorn in the flesh of the Indian Government and certain people in power. One must take a moment to consider these facts and think if Babloo Loitongbam really is Anti Meitei, it added.
It further stressed that the people need to look into the prevailing unrest from the perspective of the “Idea of Manipur.” It would be impossible for both the Meiteis and the Kukis to completely wipe each other out; therefore, the people should identify the Kukis whom we should fight and the Kukis whom we will have to live together in the future, it stated.
From the viewpoint of JCILPS, it does not claim that all the Kukis are foreigners. Since those Kukis who came before 1951 will become citizens of Manipur, they will become a part of a united Manipur, it stated.
As per COCOMI, the unrest is caused by the armed kuki narco-terrorist who came from outside the state; not by the Kuki community who had been living together since eons past, it said. Regardless, the Meitei community must win this war in order to secure the future of the community and Manipur itself, and this is our unwavering stand, it mentioned.
“Has Babloo done anything against this? Let us not make statements on mere conjectures. Instead, let us provide the proof and evidence,” it added.
“We have been working against various issues in the state with Human Rights Defender Babloo Loitongbam for more than the past 30 years,” it stated. It appealed to the public to look into the past and present incidents and identify the traitors and the ones who had been working in the interest of the public.
It also questioned if there is another agenda to divert the prevailing issue, after successfully dividing the valley and the hills, by starting a fight among the Meitei community.
