Devastated families of murdered men want justice

Lena Phanjoubam and Bedita Khomdram

IMPHAL, Feb 21 : "No more killing of the innocent. No more killing of the righteous. We want peace." This sentiment was unanimous in the anguished voices of all of the bereaved families in the recent outrageous murder of the SDO Kasom Khullen and his two staff.

When an IFP team visited these families, the fury at being affronted so brutally and so meaninglessly has somewhat subsided from their hearts but the grief hasn`t.

They were also overwhelmed by the public support they were getting in fighting for justice.

The SDO Office driver, A Rajen Sharma`s family is the worst hit. Not only are they devastated by the tragedy, but they are already worried about the prospect of a poverty stricken future, the deceased man being the only bread winner.

Rajen`s driver`s salary was keeping the family hearth burning and four young children, an ailing aging mother and wife from starvation. With him gone, they are now stare into an uncertain future in utter despair.

Since the day of his death, as per the Meitei custom which demands no food be taken till the body of the deceased is cremated and turned to ashes totally, they have not been eating.

The adult members of the family have been continuing the fast, as the bodies are still lying in the RIMS mortuary as there has been no conclusive settlement between the JAC and the government as yet.

They however said they are not going to back off from the leadership of the JAC which has done so much for them and will trust in the organisation bringing justice for them.

They also are extremely grateful to the public for their support and their appeal is for them to keep the agitation for justice non-violent.

Thingnam Kishan`s home was thronging with well wishers when the IFP team landed. His younger brother Thingnam Bedprakash, was articulate about what the family wanted � in one word, "Justice".

"We want to also know the motive behind the gruesome murder. He was a peace loving and righteous man. He was brilliant too." He said in deep sorrow.

He lamented that it is always the righteous and upright who meet such fate and removed from the earth. "But for how long?" he asked rhetorically. "Sooner than later, another good man will replace the eliminated good man" he added almost as an afterthought.

He said there should be no communalism generated, instead all communities should fight together for justice as it is happening.

He also wished that the government is able to get at the truth and book the criminals who perpetrated the savagery at the soonest. "It is despicable and cowardly to kidnap and murder people the way his brother and colleagues have been" he grieved.

"Such a fate should not visit anybody else in the future," he said.

The devastated family of Y Token are very definite about what they want too. They are not bothered about the ex-gratia offered by the government. One of the dead man`s sisters told IFP with pride in her brother even in grief that no amount of money in this world can fill the vacuum left by the death of their brother.

Their ailing mother has already suffered a heart attack and they are afraid that it may become too much for her to withstand the tragedy they are in at the moment.

"She has not only been refusing food, but also has stopped taking her medicines or the vitamin she has been on", she cried in utter despair.