IMPHAL: On the 7th death anniversary of Th Manorama which wasobserved Monday, president of Irabot Foundation Trust Th Iboyaima gavea clarion call to all civil society organizations in the state tostrengthened themselves into a united force against Armed ForcesSpecial Powers Act, 1958, while also expressing his commitment that hewill be the bulwark of the movement against the draconian Army law.
Afloral tribute was paid at her Bamol Kampu residence in Imphal.
“I will be the bulwark in the fight for the repeal of the draconianAFSPA,” said the social worker as he delivered a moving speechon Monday,while urging civil society organizations to strengthen its force inthe fight against the act.
Th Manorama was raped and then killed and her lifeless body dumped by 17Assam Rifles on July 10 midnight 2004 in the outskirt of Imphal.Following the uncovering of the truth, distraught mothers went on adaring and media-hogging “naked protest” in front of Kangla gate where the 17 Assam Rifles was stationed, offering their chastity to be outraged with the slogan “Assam Rifles come rape us”.
Iboyaima said in his speech at the 7th death anniversary observance event that now is the right time for all the civil societyorganizations to come together in one united force in the fightagainst AFSPA, 1985.
The Act has become notorious globally because human rights are beingviolated wantonly in the garb of the martial law and national security against which even the UNO had acknowledged that the act carries aninherent basic flaw which guides the Army to torture, rape and killed women and suspect without any reproach just like it happened toManorama, he said.
AFSPA was implemented in the state in 1942 by the colonial British which the Independent India chose to continue with in 1958 by merely effecting superficial change following an all-India consensus, he said (NNN).
