May 17, 2016
Sim cheh ute
*Speech from Colin Gonsalves, Senior Advocate - Supreme Court of IndiaFounder and Director - Human Rights Law Network*
New Delhi | May 16, 2016 | LNN
My dear brothers and sisters from Manipur, my name is Colin Gonsalves. I am a senior advocate, practicing in the Supreme Court of India and I am speaking to you from my office in New Delhi. A few days ago, I participated in a rally of Manipuri people particularly of the tribal community and from the hill districts of Manipur. Rally about the death of nine young boys who were brutally killed by the police for doing nothing, but they were shot down in clod blood and I learnt about your struggle and I learnt about the intention of your government. By passing three bills, I am told and I have seen the bills, many of you will be declared non-Manipuri people. I will come to this aspect a little later but as I speak to you today, we are in the 89th of the agitation where the bodies have not been buried as yet. It is a custom of your people, it is a custom of my friends that if a member of the family dies, the very day itself the body is buried and we are doing an act of great agitation and we are expressing ourselves in the most forceful fashion by keeping the bodies of our dear brothers who gave their lives for this movement, by keeping them above ground and not buring them. It is not an insignificant act. It is not an idle act. It is not a foolish act. It is the greatest possible act of resistance against the tyranny of the Manipur government. What is reported now is even more shocking than what I have heard before. The 1951 census will decide whether you are or are not Manipuri. Whether you are a citizen or a person from Manipur, let me say. There are many things wrong with the 1951 census and I am told and I believe this to be correct that if the 1951 census is put into force as the bill proposes, thousands and thousands of our young manipuri boys and girls and men and women, they will all be declared non-Manipuri. (**abrupt**) and dignity, you who have been in Manipur for decades, young boys and girls, your parents, your grandparents, under the new bill if your name does not appear in the 1951 census register, God knows where this register is or what it contains you will be declared a non-Manipur person and (**abrupt**) in dignity that you will be asked to make a pass to reside and remain and transact business in your own land and if you want to buy land and do business you will have to ask permission to do this business. We must now allow such a law to be passed. It is unjust. It is against the constitution and it is illegal. It must not be allowed to pass. Now, nine of our young brothers have died, they were not carrying arms, they were not throwing bombs, they were not engaging in any activity that threatens the life of any policeman and security person. Where was the need to shoot them down?. Do we have an Indian police to? Do we have an Indian arm foce or are we living in British (**abrupt**). What was the need to shoot them down? Does any have an explanation? We've heard. We've heard. Some houses of MLAs were built because of people who were angy they were burnt maybe, maybe. Does that justify the killing of nine young boys unarmed, unarmed young boys in their 20s. Okay, some buildings were burnt, you prosecute people who burnt it. Show some restraint. Show some respect for the people of Manipur. Does it allow you to kill people in cold blood? Now, I come to the aspect of your representatives, your MLAs and MPs. We have received very distressing report that many of your MLAs and MPs who should be supporting you in struggle, who should be side by side with you in the streets of Manipur. They are hiding? They are avoiding you? They are not supporting the struggle? They are keeping silent? And they are making all kinds of suggestions for withdrawal of the agitation? Brothers and sisters, I must warn you - you be ready now for a new turn, a new phase of your struggle. There will be many who will advise you wrongly. Withdraw it! Bury the bodies! We will see later! Apply to here, apply to there! Write to this person! Write to that person. Let me tell you one thing very plainly - these are persons waiting for you to retreat. They are waiting for you to withdraw your agitation. They are scared of your agitation because they can see that the people of Manipur are angry and are not willing to compromise. Therefore, do not listen to people who tell you to compromise. Where is a compromise? Who has come forward with a reasonable compromise? And what can be the only compromise? The only compromise is you withdraw your bills, we withdraw our agitation and don’t question our status as people of Manipur and don’t render as secondclass citizen in our own state and in our own country. We are not willing to accept that. Nine of our brothers have shed their blood. They have made the ultimate sacrifice. Their souls will be very unhappy, very restless. If they know that we betray them, by withdrawing the agitation against these bills. Therefore, brothers and sisters of Manipur, I can say only one thing - you all are united, you all are strong, you all are determined. You have got on your side. You have justice on your side. You have the law on your side. Please do not surrender. Do not surrender. In our agitation, we have become nonviolent, we have been nonviolent, we have been nonviolent. Now, let me answer a question that is asked very often. Is it very complicated to withdraw these bills? Is it possible to withdraw these bills? Is it difficult to withdraw these bills? It is a very simple issue - the state cabinet has proposed the bill, the state cabinet can withdraw the bills. All that the Chief Minister has to do is to call a meeting of his state cabinet and pass a resolution, cabinet resolution withdrawing the bills and then from the assembly the bills must be withdrawn.
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© Khochungte Awgin
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