A group of women and students attempting to storm CM Bungalow is being blocked by police in Imphal Image: www.nagalandpost.com
A group of women and students attempting to storm CM Bungalow is being blocked by police in Imphal
Image: www.nagalandpost.com
On December 13, the arrested leaders and volunteers of the All Manipur Students’ Union (AMSU) were released unconditionally by the courts of CJM Imphal West and Imphal East after the state police submitted their final/closure report on the ground of insufficient evidence, reported The Sangai Express.
Front Line Defenders, in a press statement, has condemned the arbitrary arrest and detention of the AMSU leaders and office bears by the Indian state.
On December 9 and 10, almost as many as 11 leaders, including five office bearers of the AMSU were arrested by the Indian police in the state. Yumkhaibam Bijando, Sagolsem Ranjit and Sinam Bode were arrested on December 9 at around 7:30 PM from the AMSU office at the DM College Campus in Thangmeibamd without any warrant or reason given for the arrest.
The attack on AMSU and its leaders was linked to a total shut down or ‘bandh’ on 10 December called for by the North East Students’ Organisation (NESO) to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act. The AMSU as a member organization of NESO, supported the call for a total shutdown in protest against the new law.
Five office bearers Yumrembam Sanjit, W Deemocha, TH Thanil, M Bishal and Ng Toni were arrested on December 10 at around 4:30 PM from near the Nupilal Complex by the Jiribam Police and booked under Sections 143/145 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code that deal with unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation respectively.
The same day at around 9 PM, Pebam Bruce was arrested from his residence in Kwakeithel Takhel Leikai, Imphal west, by plainclothes officers. Around the same time, police officials from the Lamlai Police Station of Imphal East arrested Khumbongmayum Chaorel and Moirangthem Dikson were produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate Imphal East on 11 December and have been remanded in police custody for three days.
These arrests can only be said to be part of a larger crackdown by the Indian state against those opposing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, now Act, which has been widely condemned by rights groups for targeting the Muslim minority and also for being a deliberate attempt to change the demography of the North Eastern states and threaten the culture, language and identity of the indigenous people.
The central government had continued with using disproportionate force against protestors, by targeting student leaders and other human rights defenders, threatening, detaining and harassing them and also curbing essential internet services to control important factual information from being circulated to the people in the country.
Front Line Defenders had also questioned the conditions of detention and the safety of the leaders and members of the AMSU in custody.
In its press release it said, “The response of the Indian State to those protesting an inherently discriminatory and regressive state, by curtailing fundamental rights and freedoms including the freedom of assembly and association and freedom of expression, is a matter of grave concern. These rights embody the core of a human rights defenders work, without which they are unable to effectively carry out their peaceful work.”
Front Line Defenders had called on the Indian authorities to respect peaceful demonstrations and to recognize the right to people’s freedom of expression, values enshrined in the Constitution of India and in its international commitments; and put forth the following requests:
1. Immediately and unconditionally release Yumkhaibam Bijando, Sagolsem Ranjit, Sinam Bode, Bruce Pebam, Yurembam Sanjit, W Deemocha, Th Thanil, M Bishal, Toni Ng, Khumbongmayum Chaorel and Moirangthem Dikson as Front Line Defenders believes that they are being held solely as a result of their legitimate and peaceful work in the defence of human rights;
2. Ensure the safety of all those detained and grant them immediate and unfettered access to their families and lawyers and medical treatment;
3. Cease targeting all human rights defenders in India and guarantee in all circumstances that they are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment;
4. Ease restrictions on communication and the use of internet in the North Eastern States.
Various news publications had also reported that apart from these members, the police had also arrested, Manipur University Students’ Union (MUSU) finance secretary Kenezia Ningthoujam, AMSU MUHRDC chairman RK Barun, members Moirangthem Bobison and Angom Kingson; SVC HQ members Rohen Khwairakpam, Salam Changkhonba and Aheibam Anganba and AMSU Imphal West VP Lukram Manglangba. Singjamei Police picked them up while the volunteers were carrying out the protest in front of Manipur University (MU).
Manipur is witnessing protests under the aegis of the NESO and AMSU. Last week on Thursday, General Secretary Kh Anjali of GP Women College Students’ Union warned that if the demand to release student leaders was not considered within 24 hours, the five colleges under the DM University umbrella would launch intense agitations with students of other colleges under MU and any untoward consequences arising out the students’ agitations would be the sole responsibility of the government, the Nagaland Post reported.
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