Long Wait For Justice

The rally in Imphal on Sunday, demanding justice for six Naga hostages abducted and brutally killed in Kangpokpi district , was more than a protest. It was a cry from the heart of a wounded society. Women from Meitei and Naga communities, joined by civil organisations such as the Coordination Committee of Khwairamband Keithel, Joint Tribe Council (JTC), and Save Indigenous People of Manipur (SIPOM), gathered to remind the state that justice delayed is justice denied. Their demand was simple yet profound: accountability for lives lost , dignity for victims, and a concrete decision from the Assembly before its session closes. The rally turned tense when security forces intervened near Bir Tikendrajit Flyover, firing tear gas shells to disperse protesters. Yet the absence of major untoward incidents should not obscure the deeper truth: the people’s patience is fraying. The threat to deposit the mortal remains of the slain victims at the home minister’s gate was not an act of defiance alone-it was a symbol of desperation, a plea to a government that has too often responded with silence or delay. Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh’s statement in the Assembly, citing the NIA report, acknowledged that the six Naga members were abducted and detained on May 13. But acknowledgement without action is hollow. Co-convener of the Naga Humanitarian Aid Committee, Amandai Thaimei, condemned the killings and alleged complicity of security forces. His words cut to the core: when the state fails to protect civilians, when it shields armed groups instead of holding them accountable, it forfeits its moral authority. This is not merely about six lives lost. It is about the erosion of trust in institutions meant to safeguard citizens. It is about indigenous communities-Naga, Meitei, Kuki-who have borne the brunt of violence since May 2023, watching their loved ones vanish or perish while promises of justice remain unfulfilled. Each delay compounds trauma, each hesitation emboldens perpetrators. Responsibility demands clarity: justice must be swift, impartial, and visible. The Assembly cannot adjourn without addressing this issue. To do so would be to signal indifference to the cries of grieving families and to the collective conscience of Manipur. The government must ensure that investigations are transparent, prosecutions are time-bound, and accountability reaches both perpetrators and those who failed in their duty to protect. The moral appeal is urgent. The victims’ families deserve closure, not endless procedural delays. Communities deserve reassurance that the rule of law still holds meaning. And Manipur deserves leaders who act with courage rather than calculation. The demand for justice is not a threat to stability-it is the foundation of stability. Without it, agitation will intensify, divisions will deepen, and the fragile fabric of coexistence will unravel further. The Assembly session ends Monday. That deadline is not just parliamentary-it is moral. If justice is not addressed now, the government risks losing the last remnants of public trust. The people have spoken through rallies, through grief, through warnings. It is time for the state to respond with action, not words. Justice cannot wait. It must be delivered now-swiftly, transparently, and without compromise. It is time that both centre and state focus on delivering justice, only then can Manipur begin to heal.