Okram Ibobi Singh: Balancing act

Imphal, April 10: The Manipur government has allowed only 112 relatives of nine PLA cadres to pay floral tributes at their memorial site, violating an order of the Imphal bench of Gauhati High Court that has allowed “relatives, well-wishers and friends” of the slain militants to pay floral tributes there.

The relatives of the nine cadres of the Peoples’ Liberation Army, the military wing of the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), constructed a memorial site at Cheiraoching hill in Chingmeirong in 1990 and have been paying floral tributes there every year on April 13.

On this day in 1982, Thoudam Kunjabihari, a top leader of the PLA was killed by the army along with eight others at Kodompokpi in Imphal West district.

The PLA also observes the day every year as Martyrs’ Day.

The state government tries to prevent the relatives of the nine slain PLA militants from paying tributes and every year they have to rush to the court to get a no-objection order.

This year also five relatives of the slain militants approached the high court.

Justice K. Meruno passed an order on Wednesday allowing “relatives, well-wishers and friends” of the slain militants to pay floral tributes at the memorial site.

On that day, the state home department issued directives to the district magistrate Imphal West, A. Ibocha Singh, to allow only 112 relatives to pay tribute.

The directives signed by the deputy secretary home, Th. Amalkumar Singh, however, said no anti-national slogans, festoons, PLA cards, banners would be allowed while paying tribute.

According to the directives, tributes can be offered by only one at a time and not in a form of procession.

The home department has also banned use of loudspeakers at the memorial site and said adequate security measures should be taken to prevent trouble.

The time allotted for offering tribute is from 7am to 3pm.

Angered by the home department’s order, the relatives of the slain militants through their lawyer Suren Naorem yesterday submitted a representation to the home department, district magistrate and SP, Imphal West, L. Kailun requesting that all the relatives, friends and well-wishers be allowed to pay floral tribute at the site.

The high court order was also submitted to the government.

The lawyer and the relatives told the media today that the home department order allowing only 112 relatives was in complete violation of the court order.