Testimony of Smt. Leishungbam (O) Sakhenbi Devi, Ragailong blast

I, Smt. Leishungbam (O) Sakhenbi Devi aged about 30 years, W/O of (L) Sh. Leishungbam Debendro Singh, R/O Khurai Sajor Leikai, Ukhrul Road,  P.O. & P.S. Lamlong, District Imphal East, 795010, would like to share the pain and sorrow of losing my loving husband in the Ragailong Bomb blast. On 21^st October 2008, the evening the bomb exploded, he was loitering outside the compound of our house when he received a phone call from his close friend Naoten, the friend who died with him at the Ragailong blast. Naoten was inviting him to go to Thangmeiband for some work. They went away together around 6.30 p.m. and before leaving, my husband called out from outside our gate that he would be returning early. They did not return home for a long time. I suspected nothing as my husband was not in the habit of using drugs, alcohol, smoking cigarettes, gambling or any other bad activities. I was waiting for him to eat dinner together when I heard a loud explosion around 7-7.30 p.m. Ten minutes after the blast took place, one lady who identified herself as wife of a commando personnel, made a phone call to my husband’s elder sister, who resides at Keishampat Leikai. This lady gave information about the involvement of my husband at the Ragailong blast and if they happened to know the owner of the mobile phone, they should inform their respective relatives and immediately go to the Hospital. My husband’s sister after receiving the phone call immediately called us and informed us to go to the Hospital.

My relatives went to the Hospital and informed us through telephone that my husband has been killed in the Ragailong blast. The news of his death was unbelievable, I started shouting unable to accept the news and I fell unconscious. The whole night I was at the hospital. The next day my husband’s lifeless body was brought home after performing post mortem. I also returned home after medical treatment from the hospital. My situation became more serious after I saw the body of my husband. I became uncontrollable and my parents and relatives consoled me and they begged me to think for the future of my two young children, one was 3 years old and the younger one was only three months old.  I was inconsolable and fainted repeatedly and became very weak. The last rites were performed accordingly, followed by a series of agitations against the blast. The barbaric activity of the terrorist who triggered the bomb was condemned. The Chief Minister of Manipur offered Rs. One lakh as ex-gratia,to compensate the death of my husband.

There were numerous changes after his death. I was badly traumatized and remained sick most of the time. My youngest son, who was just three months old when his father died, became very sick in February 2009. He developed high temperature accompanied with patches of swelling on the body, and despite consulting a pediatric specialist, his condition worsened. After undergoing medication for four days in Imphal, we went to Gauhati for further treatment. The doctors in Gauhati Hospital gave the result as Seritis disease and medicated him with strong anti-biotic and performed blood transfusion on the feet of the child. I was depressed and felt miserable what was going to happen to my child. After the transfusion, he recuperated slowly and till today, with Gods graciousness, the disease did not reoccur again. I suffered from inferiority complex, I refused to go out and mingle with friends or relatives. I was at home almost all the time near my children. I did not attend any ceremony except the religious necessary rites performed for my husband. I developed severe back pain and joint pain. The ultra sound report showed stone in the gall bladder and I underwent gall bladder operation in March 2011. My in-laws bore all the expenditure for myself and my children’s ailment.

My children started growing up steadily and time came for them to go to school. I realized it is not necessary to waste time at home and I must earn money for sustaining my family. My mother-in-law and my husband’s brothers are good to me. My husband was the youngest son in our family and all the family members showed care and concern to me and my children. They opened a shop for selling dry fish items for me. Presently I am selling dry fishes at Khurai Bazaar which is adjacent to our house and the business is prospering.  

I feel afraid and gets irritated with loud sounds or explosion of firecrackers and stay indoors during Diwali season. My life is destined to live in the absence of a husband and I should be ready to face any situation for me and my children. I am glad my in-laws are there for me to face any circumstances. I pray to God for the welfare of my children and also pray to God to make the soul of my husband rest in peace.