Students, intellectuals and activists of more than 50 mass organizations staged a militant protest action at Manipur House on Sardar Patel Marg in New Delhi on August 4. They were protesting against the fake “encounter” killing of a youth in the heart of Imphal city on July23, which also resulted in the death of another young women and injuries to several others. The protest action was organized jointly by the Manipur Students Association-Delhi (MSAD) and several other organizations.

“Down with the Armed Forces Special Powers Act!”, “Down with the Manipur Police Commandos!”, “Down with the Ibobi Singh government!”, “We want justice!”, “Punish the guilty!”, “Long live people’s struggle against state terrorism!” – slogans such as these and others rang out through the locality and summed up the mood and sentiments of  the protestors. 

Addressing the participants at the protest rally, Birju Nayak, Delhi Secretary of Lok Raj Sangathan, angrily condemned the brutal state terrorism in Manipur. He reiterated the long standing demand of the Manipuri people, a demand which LRS has staunchly upheld, that the AFSPA should be immediately scrapped and the armed forces withdrawn to their barracks. He also condemned the Manipur Police Commandos involved in the latest incident of July 23 and demanded punishment of the guilty.

State terrorism, Birju Nayak pointed out, has been and remains a favourite weapon of the ruling class, to divide the people and crush their struggles, not only in Manipur but all over the country. Recalling the state organized massacre of Sikhs in Delhi in 1984, the state organized communal massacres of Muslims in Gujarat in 2002 and numerous other incidents of state organized massacres and fake encounter killings, he called for unity against state terrorism, punishment for the guilty and for political power in the hands of the people.

A memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister of Manipur was submitted to the Resident Commissioner, demanding strict action against the guilty police commandos and resignation of the Chief Minister for failing in his duty to protect the rights of the people.

The rally was also addressed by representatives of Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights, HMAR Student Association, Naga Students Union Delhi, Peace and Development, Manipur, PDSU, MSAD, North East Support Centre, PUDR, Pratidhwani, etc.