“Affected by the ongoing violence and chaos, we at EEVFAM are still deeply saddened and shocked at the way how events have unfolded in Manipur since May 3, 2023,” it said
TFM Desk
Reiterating its stand for repealing AFSPA from Manipur, Extra-Judicial Execution Victims Families Association (EEVFAM) has urged the Union and State governments to devise a way in which all forms of violence-ridden conflict can be resolved. “The Union and State governments should no longer prolong the ongoing conflict as our people have suffered enough under the shadow of guns,” it said.
In a press statement issued by its secretary Edina Yaikhom, EEVFAM maintained that the violence between two communities in Manipur that began on May 3, 2023 is yet to be resolved till today. It is believed that over 200 persons have been killed in the ongoing violence though the state government is yet to come up with the latest official figure on the number of persons who had been killed or injured, it said.
“Whatever the total number is, the violence continues sporadically and people still fear that fresh rounds of violence will hit them without the innocent people not knowing that they would be victims of conflict,” added EEVFAM.
“Affected by the ongoing violence and chaos, we at EEVFAM are still deeply saddened and shocked at the way how events have unfolded in Manipur since May 3, 2023,” it said.
Sharing their views on the ongoing crisis, EEVFAM said that being widows, mothers and relatives of persons who had been victims of extrajudicial killings, they can truly feel the pains and traumatic experience of those killed in the post-May 3, 2023 violence.
Maintaining that they were speaking from the real-life perspective of those who have lost our near and dear ones, EEVFAM said as widows, they have struggled for our survival and dignity. They have faced the immense hardships while trying to raise our own children. Those of us, who are married are single-parents who are supporting the well-being of our children, it added.
“In the current context, we have also discovered that many of us are “double or triple-time victims” of violence irrespective of what community we belong to. Those of us who married outside our own communities had to bear the brunt of the current violence too,” it said.
“It also said, “Others who had been victims of state-sponsored violence have also now become victims of ethnic violence. Having said this, we reiterate our stand that we have all been victims of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), regardless of community affiliations. We do not at all encourage the views that AFSPA should be re-imposed in specific areas where the ACT has been lifted in the last few years,”
It also reiterated that as victims of AFSPA related violence, they encompass all the victims in of AFSPA in Manipur irrespective of their social, economic, religious and ethnic background. “And now is the time to say that “Enough is enough”, we do not need any form of violence – be it state-sponsored violence or vested interest-triggered violence. At the end of the day, violence and conflict affect all people of the state. Stop violence and also repeal AFSPA from Manipur,” it said.
“Over the years, our struggle have also seen substantial progress. We are referring to EEVFAM versus Union of India case in which the Supreme Court of India gave a landmark judgment. This judgment was delivered on July 8,¬ 2016, and our struggle against military impunity continues.
“In this case, EEVFAM had filed a petition seeking an investigation into alleged extrajudicial killings by security forces in Manipur. The petition highlighted numerous cases where security forces were accused of committing extrajudicial killings under the guise of counter-insurgency operations,” it said.