Testimony of Smt. Salam (O) Pooja Devi

I, Smt. Salam (O) Pooja Devi aged about 30 years, W/O (L) Salam Jack  Singh, R/O Kwakeithel Laishram  Leikai, Moirang Purel P.O. & P.S. Imphal, Imphal West District, 795001, would like to share how my husband was assassinated by the underground cadres. He was 26 years old when he was killed by the UG cadres at the hillock of Mayang Langjing. My husband was habitual drug user when he was alive.  Owing to his bad habits, his parents and I decided to keep him at the jail for some time. We had kept him at a Rehabilitation Centre, however there was no improvement, therefore we decided to keep him locked up. He then had met and mingled with underground cadre’s, inside the jail, who were involved in extorting money from the public. Before he left the jail, my husband and the underground cadre’s made contact with some people with the agenda of extorting money. After his release from the jail, he stared running errands for them under the instruction and guidance of the group. One fine day he went to deliver demand letter and fixed the day for collecting the money.

On 1^st October 2006, around 11.30 a.m, my husband went away with his friend Abungcha, for some work which he did not disclose to us. He did not return till late in the afternoon and we became anxious and started asking his friends if they happened to meet him. None of his friends were aware about his whereabouts. Brother of Abungcha came to our house at 7.30 p.m. and informed us that they have been arrested and we should start arrangement for their release. One of our relatives came around 9.30 p.m and informed us that my husband has been killed and the body was found at Mayang Langjing. I was not able to believe any of the information and waited anxiously for his arrival. Next day, our relatives brought the dead body from the morgue. I could not believe what was happening. I was dumbstruck, it appears if he would call out to me. I went to the courtyard where my husband was lying and checked his body. There were injury marks on the right leg and he was shot mercilessly on the right temple. After seeing and touching the body I realized and believed that my husband is dead and would never return to me and the children. It came in the newspaper that he was killed by the UNLF cadres on the ground of extortion. 

We did not seek for magisterial enquiry neither we cause any agitation in the form of bandh or rally upon his death.  According to the information of the eye witness, my husband was arrested by the UNLF cadres from the place where he was receiving the extortion money. The person who was giving the money had preplanned and made arrangement for his arrest and murder. The insurgents took him towards Langjing and he was harassed and tortured before shooting him to death.

The day my husband went away from the house, I never knew he will not return home. He was a simple person without any fault and wrong doings, the only problem he had was his bad habit of taking drugs at regular interval. He was always good to me and would make me and our children happy. He was not able to give up his bad habits and got himself involved with dishonest and evil people inside the jail.  We regretted so much why we had put him in the jail for his bad habit of taking drugs. He had no relation with any group and he was used by the people inside the jail and everything went wrong. He would have been with us if he had not met the insurgents inside the jail.  Life has changed considerably after the death of my husband, I felt like committing suicide thinking how to raise my two young children alone. My mother-in-laws started ill treating me and two children which led me to take my children and return to my maternal home at Porompat. I asked and enquired for schemes available with the State and central Government. My children are studying in Sunrise Public School at Uripok and staying in the school boarding. I have not lost contact with my mother-in-law. I contact them regularly and she comes to meet her grand children regularly. I do not own BPL card for getting the monthly ration.

I decided after few months of my husband’s death that it is no use to lament at home. I have two children whom I had to raise and nourish. I am living for my children, I feel I should be strong and confident for them. They should not feel orphaned in the society when I am alive. I get discriminated on various accounts being a widow. I will stand for them and no one should discriminate my children as long as I am alive. The pain and sorrow of losing my husband haunts me day and night, it is not easy to live in the absence of my husband, however, this is my fate, and I have to accept and adjust to live without his presence. My two children are my strength and I will live for them.