IT News
Imphal, Sept 11:
Following the failure to appoint an acting Chairperson for the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) after the retirement of U B Saha on August 14, 2024, the MHRC, which was established in 1998 for the protection of human rights, has been unable to conduct any proceedings. As per the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA) 1993, the incumbent member of the MHRC should have been immediately handed the charge of Acting Chairperson upon the retirement of the Chairperson. This failure is a blatant violation of the Act. Human rights activists have been unable to file cases related to yesterday’s student uprising, where over 70 students were injured during police action.
In this regard, the Centre for Organisation Research and Education (CORE) has submitted a memorandum to the Governor of Manipur, stating that the government has grossly violated the PHRA by failing to appoint a new Chairperson for the MHRC since August 2024.
According to CORE, 70 students sustained injuries during a police crackdown in the heart of Imphal and surrounding areas. CORE raised the issue that “Human rights activists who tried to register complaints with the MHRC have been summarily told that the MHRC cannot conduct any proceedings after the retirement of its Chairperson on August 24, 2024.”
In the memorandum submitted to Governor Lakshman Acharya, CORE stated that “the Government of Manipur has failed to appoint a new Chairperson. Moreover, the incumbent member of the MHRC is not authorized to act as the Chairperson, as required by the provisions of the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA) 1993, until a new Chairperson is appointed.”
CORE also informed the Governor that in August 2024, the Youth Forum of the Protection of Human Rights had written to the Chief Secretary and the Commissioner of the Law Department, urging the swift appointment of an Acting Chairperson of the MHRC in accordance with Section 25 of the PHRA 1993.
