A Manipur-based rights group has appealed to Home Minister Amit Shah to save and secure the lives of four Right to Information (RTI) applicants who have been “repeatedly threatened and intimidated” by members of an extremist group.
The Movement for People’s Rights Forum, Manipur (MPRFM), said a local unit of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) had been issuing death threats to the RTI users of Senapati district, forcing them to go into hiding since March 2020.
The four are Kh. Inoch of Phaibung village, P. Johnson Samo of Taphou Phyamai village, S.P. Benjamin of Ngari Raidulomai village and P.R. Amose of Khabung Khunou village. The last three have been lying low in Manipur capital Imphal, about 60 km from their villages, while Mr. Inoch has been under “house arrest” in his village.
The four apparently irked the local leaders of the NSCN (I-M) by seeking to know how funds received by the Phaibung, Phuba and Karong Autonomous District Councils under the 13th and 14th Finance Commissions since 2015 had been spent.
The RTI applications had been submitted following reports that the funds were being misused by the district councils in collusion with certain agents without the projects being executed on the ground.
While the information officers declined to provide the information, leaders of the NSCN (I-M)’s Shepoumaramth Region (encompassing the areas covered by the district councils) ordered them to withdraw their application or face stern action.
Seeking protection of the RTI applicants, the MPRFM also drew the attention of Mr. Shah and the Ministry of Home Affairs to the “ban” imposed by the NSCN (I-M) on people filing applications under the RTI Act or approaching the State Lokayukta through an “order” on March 16, 2020.
“We, therefore, request you kindly to immediately take up this issue and ensure that common people residing in Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Noney, Kamjong and Chandel districts are able to exercise their fundamental right to information for the end of justice,” said MPRFM convener Gonmei Kuripou and the forum’s publicity secretary Simon Kamei in the letter.
