MSAD expresses concern over the cold blooded assassination of its former volunteer Dr. Thingnam Kishan on 16 February 2009 and two of his associates Aribam Rajen and Yumnam Token after they were being kidnapped on 13. It is worth reminding that Dr Kishan, who had worked with MSAD for years in 1990s, had continued to work for the cause of the oppressed and marginalised people of Manipur.
He had lived with a progressive ideology and while serving with the MCS he had stood for structural reform, at least in his capacity within his administrative jurisdiction, to carry on with equitable distribution of rights & incentives. He was, therefore, an enemy to corrupt bureaucrats and mercenaries who had converted India’s imperial administrative institutions into a den of private profiteering and corruption. Indian state had also foreseen in the person of Dr. Kishan a potential revolutionary against exploitative capitalism imposed in Manipur. He was, therefore, kidnapped and assassinated in a high level ‘structural conspiracy’ executed by an alliance of the Indian state and its counterrevolutionary mercenaries including the corrupt Deputy Commissioner of Ukhrul District (Pankaj Kumar Pal) who had laid a trap for Dr. Kishan in the format of a meeting scheduled for 13 February 2009. Both the associates of Dr. Kishan, driver Aribam Rajen and Yumnam Token were being assassinated simply because they were with Dr. Kishan and to cover up true character of the plot. That the enemy of the people had executed assassination with communal colouring so that it incites communal tension and diverts attention from both the cause and the culprits.
- MSAD expresses condolence for Dr. Kishan and his staffs; that, may they be always remembered and honoured as victims of reactionary regime. MSAD also shares pain and trauma with the families who have lost Dr. Kishan and his associates forever.
- MSAD hails high the spirit of unity and political maturity exhibited by the people of Manipur in carrying out collective protest against war crimes and communal tactics carried out by the Indian state and its mercenaries.
- MSAD expresses positive expectation with NSCN-IM in constituting a Special Investigation Team to “leave no stone unturned in the efforts to book the culprits at the earliest time possible.”
- MSAD appeals to the Indian state that it may not play with compensation game to cover up its imperial pogrom. We do not want to be killed for compensation but an end to colonial subjection and state terrorism.
MSAD invites progressive organisations and individuals to kindly take part in the Condolence Ceremony for Dr. Kishan to be organised on Sunday, 22 February 2009 at Delhi University, Arts Faculty (North) at 3.00 p.m.
Sd/-
N. Manishwar
Human Rights Committee,
Manipur Students’ Association Delhi
19 February 2009
