| Publication |
2013.
|
| Summary/Abstract |
On the 11
th
of July 2004, the personnel of the Assam Rifles picked up a
young woman from her house in Thoubal district at about 2300 hours.
Her house was searched but nothing was found. The Assam Rifles
personnel then arrested her and left after leaving an arrest memo stating
that they had not found anything incriminating. The next morning her
body was found on a nearby hillock with several bullet injuries around
her waist and abdomen. The local people who found her body naturally
thought that she had been raped. This was followed by the extraordinary
spectacle of a group of middle aged and elderly women leading a
march to the gate of the Assam Rifles and disrobing themselves
demanding that they should be raped. The valley then exploded in a
violent agitation that lasted more than a month. Regrettably the reaction
from the Centre was most unsympathetic. The statements made by
some senior officials were particularly insensitive. One stated that the
lady, Thangjom Manorama was a PLA cadre and she was an explosives
expert and several security personnel had been hurt and killed by her
explosive devices. This seemed to imply that her killing was justified.
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