Churachandpur: Tribal women in Churachandpur district of Manipur took to the streets on Wednesday (July 24) over the killing of three Hmar youths by the police in an alleged “fake encounter” in Cachar district of Assam recently.
The protest rally in Churachandpur district of Manipur was organised by the Kuki Women Organisation for Human Rights (KWOHR) and the Hmar Women Union (HWU).
The rally, which began at 11 AM from Muolvaiphei playground and concluded at the Wall of Remembrance near Peace Ground in Churachandpur district of Manipur, witnessed a large turnout of women protesters demanding justice for the deceased.
The Assam police had previously claimed that the three youths—identified as Lallungawi Hmar (21), Lalbiekkung Hmar (33) and Joshua Lalremsang Hmar (35)—were members of an armed Hmar group and were intercepted in an auto-rickshaw heading towards the Bhuban Hills.
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According to Assam police, the trio was armed with an AK-47 rifle, a single-barrel rifle, and a pistol, along with live ammunition, and were killed during a special operation in the Bhuban Hills after an exchange of fire with suspected extremists.
However, the families of the deceased and various Hmar organizations have disputed the Assam police’s account, labelling it as a “fake and staged encounter”.
They have called for a thorough and impartial investigation into the incident to uncover the truth behind the deaths.
The protesters carried placards with messages such as “Justice for Every Citizen of India”, “Fair Trial Not False Encounter”, “Justice Delayed is Justice Denied”, “Stop Fake Encounters” and “Fake Encounter is the Mother of Lawlessness.”
They also chanted slogans like “We Demand Justice”, “We Demand Judicial Enquiry” and “Assam Police, Down Down”.
The protesters submitted a memorandum to union home minister Amit Shah through the DC of Churachandpur district of Manipur, seeking justice for the families of the three deceased Hmar youths.