Waking up to a shocking Jan 22 Of folded hands and two shots
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Manipur woke up to a shocking January 22, for greeting the people were the video clips of a man, Mayanglambam Rishikanta, ostensibly pleading for mercy before he was shot dead with two bullets piercing through his head. Not surprisingly the video clips went viral on the social media, even as Imphal, her people and other places started to piece together the horrendous news with all gaze gradually shifting towards the Lok Bhavan. Reporters were amongst the first to respond to the unfolding situation and before long, local TV channels had started beaming live the people who had started gathering at the residence of the late man at Kakching Khunou Uchanmakhong. It was heart wrenching and even as the shocking realisation of a man being gunned down so mercilessly began to sink in, came the information that the late man also had an alias, Ginminthang, ostensibly given in recognition of his relationship with the woman. Certain points may be deducted from the fact that Rishikanta had an alias, Gin-minthang, and this says something profound about the ‘acceptance’ of the man by the family members of the woman with whom he shared a relationship and was staying with as well as with the neighbours of the woman. A practise not uncommon in the Meitei society too, especially when a hill girl marries a Meitei man and a Meitei name is given to the hill girl ! Not yet married, but the woman was his fiancee, is the information that has come in, and so a man who had gone to meet his beloved, stayed at her place for some time was abducted along with the woman, taken to some place and then shot dead. The killing sent shock waves and not surprisingly so, for here is a case of armed thugs first abducting the man along with the woman, then pushing the woman out of the moving vehicle and proceeding to the spot where he would be shot dead. In between, the armed thugs did not forget to video record the whole thing, of showing the victim on his knees and pleading for life with folded hands, even as a gunman nonchalantly opened fire, not once, but twice, bringing him down dead. Information coming in says that the couple was abducted in the evening of January 21, and scary it is to even think that a man and woman could be so easily ‘picked up’ by some gun wielding thugs and done to death, with nothing to indicate that there is something called the Government to ensure the right to protection of one’s life and property. The abject failure of the PR administration and by extension the Union Home Ministry cannot get more clear than this. Even as Manipur mourns the death of a young man, certain questions continue to bug the mind, such as how did Rishikanta, a Meitei manage to go past the security zone or the ‘buffer zone’ to Churachandpur without being stopped or detained ? A question that should be directed towards Lok Bhavan and the men at the helm of the PR administration, including the Security Advisor, DGP and the top ranking security personnel.
The dastardly murder of Rishikanta should not go in vain. While awarding fitting punishment to the killers tops the list, this should also open the eyes of the Government to the fact that gun wielding elements continue to call the shots in the hills, particularly in the Kuki-Zo dominated places. It is also an indication that the rule of law is completely absent in these areas. Apart from identifying and nailing the killers, what should the Government do ? Continue to give the long rope to the armed elements roaming the hills of Churachandpur, Moreh and Kangpokpi ? It also stands that it is with a sense of impunity and immunity that armed elements can come and whisk away an adult male and a woman, take the man to an undisclosed location and shoot him dead in cold blood. Even as this commentary is being penned down, no tangible report has come in of any search operations or efforts being taken up to go after the killers. Only Lok Bhavan can answer this, but the very fact that this is being raised should say so many things. The task before the Govt should be clear. Go after the killers. Show that such brazen act would not be tolerated. Show that there is rule of law. Or will it need for people to take to the street to demand justice ?
The dastardly murder of Rishikanta should not go in vain. While awarding fitting punishment to the killers tops the list, this should also open the eyes of the Government to the fact that gun wielding elements continue to call the shots in the hills, particularly in the Kuki-Zo dominated places. It is also an indication that the rule of law is completely absent in these areas. Apart from identifying and nailing the killers, what should the Government do ? Continue to give the long rope to the armed elements roaming the hills of Churachandpur, Moreh and Kangpokpi ? It also stands that it is with a sense of impunity and immunity that armed elements can come and whisk away an adult male and a woman, take the man to an undisclosed location and shoot him dead in cold blood. Even as this commentary is being penned down, no tangible report has come in of any search operations or efforts being taken up to go after the killers. Only Lok Bhavan can answer this, but the very fact that this is being raised should say so many things. The task before the Govt should be clear. Go after the killers. Show that such brazen act would not be tolerated. Show that there is rule of law. Or will it need for people to take to the street to demand justice ?