Manipur: 9 unburied martyrs, 3 Bills waiting for justice to be served!

IMPHAL: There seems to be no end to the uncertainty of three Bills from Manipur being converted into an Act, namely the Protection of Manipur People Bill, 2015, the Manipur Land Revenue and Land Reforms (Seventh Amendment) Bill, 2015, and the Manipur Shops and Establishments (Second Amendment) Bill, 2015 which were unanimously passed by the Manipur Assembly.

The complexities are not primarily constitutional or legal but the process of converting the Bill into an Act has disillusioned the entire process thereby making it seem tangled.

The three Bills emerged following talks between the Manipur Government and Joint Committee on the Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) that spearheaded the 2-month-old agitation for the Inner Line Permit in Manipur meant to safeguard the interests of the indegenous people of the State.

It may be noted that from August 31 to September 1, 2015, the people of Manipur went on a mass protest against the three Bills passed by the Manipur Government. 9 people were killed during the protest and whose bodies are still left unburied in Churchandpur District of Manipur.

Also read:  The silent cries: Manipur's martyrs long for burial 247 days on

An uncertainty looms around the three bills as to whether they lie within the periphery of Rashtrapati Bhavan or the PMO and as to what will be the future course of action regarding these Bills.

Nobody talks about these Bills or for that matter, the dissidents' demands to call back the Bills ,henceforth leaving the bodies of the 9 martyrs neglected and decaying amidst the comfort zones of the authorities who seem too occupied with their day-to-day errands. While the ghosts of nine martyrs looms over the 3 Bills waiting for justice to be served but justice has yet been denied!

Shweta Raj Kanwar is a writer with TNT-The Northeast Today and can be contacted at shweta@thenortheasttoday.in