IMPHAL, June 12: The Chief Minister of Karnataka told the student representatives that the Karnataka government has not received any single note from the State government on the alleged murder… Read more »
IMPHAL, June 12: The Chief Minister of Karnataka told the student representatives that the Karnataka government has not received any single note from the State government on the alleged murder… Read more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/06/no-initiative-from-state-on-richard-case/
By: Dr. Malem Ningthouja, Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur) There is articulation of… more »
By: Dr. Malem Ningthouja, Campaign for Peace & Democracy (Manipur) There is articulation of… more
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/mysterious-richard-inculcating-racist-lingo-and-protest/
Richard Loitam, a Manipuri student in Bangalore who died reportedly after he was assaulted by… more »
Richard Loitam, a Manipuri student in Bangalore who died reportedly after he was assaulted by his fellow students, presumably was not the first student who died resulting from nasty brawl amongst students; and under the criminal justice system of this country, this is also not the first case that concerned authorities have refused to follow up a case properly or sought to cover-up crimes. Given this, one must ask and be honest as to why so many, particularly from the Northeast, have come out crying for “Justice for Richard Loitam”? The answer will invariably bring a context which will speak, not only about the nature of the present case but also the nature of the response against the death of Richard Loitam.
Justice for Richard – Protest at Delhi : Click the image to view the gallery
Racism and Its Violence: It’s Not a Private Affair Alone
We must ask four questions in order to put the unfortunate death of this young student from Manipur in perspective:
Answers to the above questions shall tell us something about “racism” vis-à-vis the present case. Indeed, these four questions will reveal that Richard’s case is a larger concern which has a collective stake rather than being merely a case of justice for an individual or a family. For instance, it seems, going by the preliminary post-mortem report and pictures of Richard’s dead body and his room that are being circulated on net, the nature of the injuries that had led to his death were not the results of a regular brawl with his fellow students who did not have the intention of causing injuries that might lead to his death or a consequences of a scuffle in which Richard fell and got injured. Prima facie, these pictures and the preliminary post-mortem report seem to suggest that the injuries that led to his death were results of a brutal assault. It is here that one is forced to think of the intent of those who allegedly assaulted him, and the above first question gets implicated in the present case which simultaneously makes Richard’s death a part of a larger issue of “racially” motivated acts.
Besides, legal fraternity will tell us that large part of the denial or subversion of justice under the criminal justice system in the country starts with the lowest level of the system, that is, the police. From refusal to register the FIR or registering it in ways that are detrimental to the victims to shoddy investigations, the denial or subversion of justice began from there. And more than any other class of people, it is the marginalized and weaker sections of the society who are more likely to face such an experience of subversion of justice is a well known fact. There is no point in denying that there had been an attempt to subvert justice by seeking to brush aside Richard’s death as a natural death and hush up the case. After all, the present outcry has been a reaction to such an effort to subvert justice. This being the case, what are the reasons for the attempt to subvert justice by the concerned authorities? Is it a case of familiar attempts of our criminal justice system which often denies justice to the weaker or marginalized sections of the society (here, the case being that Richard was a member of a particular people from a particular region which is marked by a marginal status vis-à-vis the larger Indian society)? It is this aspect of the present case which implicates the above second question, which, in turn, makes Richard’s death a collective concern over and above being a concern of his family and friends.
Needless to say, the outpouring of resentment and anger against the manner in which he was allegedly assaulted that led to his death and the initial responses of the concerned authorities have been presumably informed by a general sense of being marked out or differently treated or having faced outright acts of discrimination and humiliation by the people of the Northeast and an empathy with them by other citizens of the country. Only a self denial (due to ignorance or vested interests) of those who are used to seeking private solution (such as buying inverter) to a public malaise of institutional failures (electricity) in Manipur would deny that Richard’s case in not merely a concern or affairs of a private kind (family etc) but that of a public and collective concerns which speak of the place and experiences of the people in/from the Northeast. Arguably, it is also precisely because of this public concern that implicates the people from a geo-politically sensitive region that the Govt. of India and political class scrambled to respond to the outcry.
In order to understand the present case, both the unfortunate death, responses to the same and nature of contemporary understanding on racism, we might as well take note of the following two aspects:
The above aspects, the different “languages” of the majority perpetrators and the minority victim are points to be noted for us to grapple with the violence that has led to the death of Richard Loitam and responses to the same.
Need for Informed and Honest Response
Incidentally, and perhaps expectedly, on the other hand, there are some who have a misplaced, if not a sinister or deliberate, attempt to distract the issues at hand by raising the insecurity-driven-xenophobia which are often expressed in terms of “identity assertions” and violence against “outsiders” (or amongst the different communities) in the Northeast. Incidentally, some of these people who raise such issues have never spoken out against such xenophobic violence before they choose to raise the issue in this case. Raising such issue is not only reflective of a lack of understanding between the two forms of violence but also an attempt to distract, wittingly or unwittingly, from the issue at hand. The present case must, therefore, be addressed for what it is through proper investigations, which entails an informed and honest effort to take into account the context of the violence and the responses to the same.
It has been pointed out that the inmates (Jews/gypsies) of the Nazi concentration camps were/are not the only ones who were/are traumatized by the experience; the camps guards also suffer from the de-humanizing experience. However, juxtaposing the trauma of the camp guards to de-legitimize or sideline the dehumanizing and traumatic experiences of the inmates of those camps can only be a misplaced concern at best and at worst, a sinister move to deny the sufferings of the inmates and justify and perpetuate racism which had produced the Holocaust.
We must also remember that fight against “racism” in any form or manifestation is not an anti-state act. Indian State, constitutionally speaking, is not a racist State. Article 15 of the Constitution makes any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, race, sex or place of birth illegal. If the spirit and letter of the Constitution are not respected or followed by the Government or parties, one must not be apologetic about standing against the same. Notwithstanding the Constitution, we must know that our lived world is not entirely determined or covered by the constitutional provisions or laws. We might eulogize Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as the father of the Indian Constitution. But, I suppose, Ambedkar must also be acknowledged for his insistence on or preference for “social transformation” over “political transformation”. Perhaps, the Constitution is like an “interview guide” that researcher uses while engaging with the realities of the “field”; the actual outcome depends on what the researcher actually “does” with it. In short, the kind of “transformation” that he had in mind must therefore be judged by what we do with the Constitution. In fact, Ambedkar’s concluding remark in the Constituent Assembly on 26 November, 1949 on “those who are called to work it happen” must speak a lot to us today.
In short, the case of Richard Loitam brings home the familiar lacunae in our criminal justice system and the reality of “racism” with or without “race” which has often been underplayed, if not actively denied, in this country, including by those who are incidentally at the receiving end of “racism”. Sooner we realize this and seek corrective measures, better it would be for one and all. Seeking justice for Richard Loitam must be a part of that effort.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/richard-loitam-racism-and-its-violence/
Richard Loitam, a Manipuri student in Bangalore who died reportedly after he was assaulted by… more »
Richard Loitam, a Manipuri student in Bangalore who died reportedly after he was assaulted by his fellow students, presumably was not the first student who died resulting from nasty brawl amongst students; and under the criminal justice system of this country, this is also not the first case that concerned authorities have refused to follow up a case properly or sought to cover-up crimes. Given this, one must ask and be honest as to why so many, particularly from the Northeast, have come out crying for “Justice for Richard Loitam”? The answer will invariably bring a context which will speak, not only about the nature of the present case but also the nature of the response against the death of Richard Loitam.
Justice for Richard – Protest at Delhi : Click the image to view the gallery
Racism and Its Violence: It’s Not a Private Affair Alone
We must ask four questions in order to put the unfortunate death of this young student from Manipur in perspective:
Answers to the above questions shall tell us something about “racism” vis-à-vis the present case. Indeed, these four questions will reveal that Richard’s case is a larger concern which has a collective stake rather than being merely a case of justice for an individual or a family. For instance, it seems, going by the preliminary post-mortem report and pictures of Richard’s dead body and his room that are being circulated on net, the nature of the injuries that had led to his death were not the results of a regular brawl with his fellow students who did not have the intention of causing injuries that might lead to his death or a consequences of a scuffle in which Richard fell and got injured. Prima facie, these pictures and the preliminary post-mortem report seem to suggest that the injuries that led to his death were results of a brutal assault. It is here that one is forced to think of the intent of those who allegedly assaulted him, and the above first question gets implicated in the present case which simultaneously makes Richard’s death a part of a larger issue of “racially” motivated acts.
Besides, legal fraternity will tell us that large part of the denial or subversion of justice under the criminal justice system in the country starts with the lowest level of the system, that is, the police. From refusal to register the FIR or registering it in ways that are detrimental to the victims to shoddy investigations, the denial or subversion of justice began from there. And more than any other class of people, it is the marginalized and weaker sections of the society who are more likely to face such an experience of subversion of justice is a well known fact. There is no point in denying that there had been an attempt to subvert justice by seeking to brush aside Richard’s death as a natural death and hush up the case. After all, the present outcry has been a reaction to such an effort to subvert justice. This being the case, what are the reasons for the attempt to subvert justice by the concerned authorities? Is it a case of familiar attempts of our criminal justice system which often denies justice to the weaker or marginalized sections of the society (here, the case being that Richard was a member of a particular people from a particular region which is marked by a marginal status vis-à-vis the larger Indian society)? It is this aspect of the present case which implicates the above second question, which, in turn, makes Richard’s death a collective concern over and above being a concern of his family and friends.
Needless to say, the outpouring of resentment and anger against the manner in which he was allegedly assaulted that led to his death and the initial responses of the concerned authorities have been presumably informed by a general sense of being marked out or differently treated or having faced outright acts of discrimination and humiliation by the people of the Northeast and an empathy with them by other citizens of the country. Only a self denial (due to ignorance or vested interests) of those who are used to seeking private solution (such as buying inverter) to a public malaise of institutional failures (electricity) in Manipur would deny that Richard’s case in not merely a concern or affairs of a private kind (family etc) but that of a public and collective concerns which speak of the place and experiences of the people in/from the Northeast. Arguably, it is also precisely because of this public concern that implicates the people from a geo-politically sensitive region that the Govt. of India and political class scrambled to respond to the outcry.
In order to understand the present case, both the unfortunate death, responses to the same and nature of contemporary understanding on racism, we might as well take note of the following two aspects:
The above aspects, the different “languages” of the majority perpetrators and the minority victim are points to be noted for us to grapple with the violence that has led to the death of Richard Loitam and responses to the same.
Need for Informed and Honest Response
Incidentally, and perhaps expectedly, on the other hand, there are some who have a misplaced, if not a sinister or deliberate, attempt to distract the issues at hand by raising the insecurity-driven-xenophobia which are often expressed in terms of “identity assertions” and violence against “outsiders” (or amongst the different communities) in the Northeast. Incidentally, some of these people who raise such issues have never spoken out against such xenophobic violence before they choose to raise the issue in this case. Raising such issue is not only reflective of a lack of understanding between the two forms of violence but also an attempt to distract, wittingly or unwittingly, from the issue at hand. The present case must, therefore, be addressed for what it is through proper investigations, which entails an informed and honest effort to take into account the context of the violence and the responses to the same.
It has been pointed out that the inmates (Jews/gypsies) of the Nazi concentration camps were/are not the only ones who were/are traumatized by the experience; the camps guards also suffer from the de-humanizing experience. However, juxtaposing the trauma of the camp guards to de-legitimize or sideline the dehumanizing and traumatic experiences of the inmates of those camps can only be a misplaced concern at best and at worst, a sinister move to deny the sufferings of the inmates and justify and perpetuate racism which had produced the Holocaust.
We must also remember that fight against “racism” in any form or manifestation is not an anti-state act. Indian State, constitutionally speaking, is not a racist State. Article 15 of the Constitution makes any discrimination on the basis of caste, creed, race, sex or place of birth illegal. If the spirit and letter of the Constitution are not respected or followed by the Government or parties, one must not be apologetic about standing against the same. Notwithstanding the Constitution, we must know that our lived world is not entirely determined or covered by the constitutional provisions or laws. We might eulogize Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar as the father of the Indian Constitution. But, I suppose, Ambedkar must also be acknowledged for his insistence on or preference for “social transformation” over “political transformation”. Perhaps, the Constitution is like an “interview guide” that researcher uses while engaging with the realities of the “field”; the actual outcome depends on what the researcher actually “does” with it. In short, the kind of “transformation” that he had in mind must therefore be judged by what we do with the Constitution. In fact, Ambedkar’s concluding remark in the Constituent Assembly on 26 November, 1949 on “those who are called to work it happen” must speak a lot to us today.
In short, the case of Richard Loitam brings home the familiar lacunae in our criminal justice system and the reality of “racism” with or without “race” which has often been underplayed, if not actively denied, in this country, including by those who are incidentally at the receiving end of “racism”. Sooner we realize this and seek corrective measures, better it would be for one and all. Seeking justice for Richard Loitam must be a part of that effort.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/richard-loitam-racism-and-its-violence/
Lapses in probe: Loitam’s uncle Deccan Chronicle The family of the 19-year-old Manipuri student Richard… more »
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/05/lapses-in-probe-loitams-uncle-deccan-chronicle/
Bangalore, 29th April 2012: Over 1500 people from different walks of life and many organizations… more »
Bangalore, 29th April 2012: Over 1500 people from different walks of life and many organizations today came out in protest at Town Hall, Bangalore, against the murder of Richard Loitam. The participants have collectively demanded the Karnakata government to thoroughly investigate the death of Richard Loitam, and the guilty be brought to justice. It has also called upon the Karnataka government to take action against the Acharya NRV school of architecture and it’s official for their negligence, false accusation and the cover-up in the death of Richard Loitam.
See more photos at: http://gallery.kanglaonline.com/?p=1185
The gathering stood in silence and prayed for a minute for the departed soul of Richard. Slogans were shouted, protest songs were sung, banners and placards were held, candle light vigil was observed.
Many organizations/activists had demanded action against the murder case and some of the comments noted are:-
Jagdish G Chandra – Convener, Peoples’ Solidarity Concerns, Bangalore – “The justice for Loitam Richard is a fundamental issue for all citizens. We want a society where fear and violence is ended. Police authorities must do justice quickly and not falsify the case and shield the culprits. The college management should be held responsible for the homicide of Richard.”
Viko – Vice President of Naga Students’ Union Bangalore – “Is this the way we should be killed and send back home in a coffin? We want justice and we should take this up with the higher authorities”
Monika Khangembam – Representative of Justice of Richard – “It’s high time the management comes out clean and produces the culprits. There are enough evidences to show that it was a murder so police should start a thorough investigation.”
Rahul Prasad –Juvenile care groups – “I saw a banner here which says the college should be closed and I also would like to tell that the college should be closed till Richard gets justice”
Jangkholen – President of Kuki Students’ Union – “This is a great opportunity for the folks from North-East to unite and fight for ourselves as we have learned a lesson from Richard’s murder”
Herojit – Representative of Bangalore Manipur Student Association(BMSA)– “If a student dies in his college hostel then the college authorities should take responsibility and also the government should protect the citizens/students coming from other states here.”
Varun Jaganath of St.Joseph’s college – “Apathy is the first cause for injustice, you guys are not apathetic today, you guys have come forward for justice for Richard and cheers to that.”
Sumiti Muthi – Representative of Lesbith Group – “We came in solidarity with the struggle of justice and this country has a tendency of fabricating false cases.”
Richard Loitam was a 19 year old student from Manipur, who was pursuing Architecture Engineering (1st Year) at Archarya NRV School of Architecture, Bangalore. On the morning of 18th April, 2012 Richard was found dead on his hostel room bed with multiple injuries to his body and blood oozing from his eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The signs on his body, which can still be seen in photographs, bear clear and distinctive signs which could have come only from being assaulted and battered. However, many conflicting reasons have been assigned as the cause of his death even before the details of the post mortem are made available, which raises concern and worry that certain vested interest individuals might not want the exact cause of death to come out and are trying to cover up the whole issue. Richard’s parents who are devastated by the irreplaceable loss are convinced that their son died of campus violence as there are indications and witness accounts of Richard having an altercation with other students on the evening of 17th April, the night before his death. Accordingly, they approached the authorities of the Institute to carry out a thorough, fair and transparent investigation so that justice is done and the culprits, if any, are brought to book. Even after the passage of reasonable time, the authorities of Acharya NRV School of Architecture, Bangalore did nothing of significance, thereby prompting the parents of Richard to approach the police for help. The local police have not done a proper investigation into the matter, nor has the college authorities co-operated with the investigation thereby giving a sense of frustration and restlessness to the family and near ones of Richard.
The protest campaign was organized by volunteers of Justice for Loitam Richard Group and Peoples’ Solidarity Concerns, Bangalore.
Some of the organization who participate and supported this protest:
1. South Indian cell for Human Rights
2. Zeliangrong students’ union Bangaore
3. Kuki students’ Organizations Bangalore
4. Naga Students’ Union Bangalore
5. Thangkhul Student Union Bangalore
6. Juvenile care groups
7. Lesbith Association
8. Bangalore Manipur Student’s Union
9. Bangalore Meitei Association
10. Lotha Students’ Union Bangalore
11. Poumei Students’ Union
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2012/04/protest-against-the-killing-of-richard-loitam-pr/
