"Look at those eyes, they won't let India live in peace", pictures and not police, confirmed two fathers in Manipur that their children are no more, 80 days after they went missing

“It was yesterday afternoon when the pictures came on my mobile, followed by phone calls and the undeniable truth was there in front of our eyes, one we had known for long but dreaded to believe”, said Hijam Kuljit Singh, father of 17-year-old minor girl from Imphal West who went missing along with her male friend in July this year amidst a supercharged environment in a divided, torn-up state.

Luwangbi Linthoinganbi Hijam, 17-year-old had stepped out of her house at around 7 a.m. on July 6 this year for her coaching class at Keishampat Mutum Leikai, about 2 km from her home. She never returned home. She had met with her best friend, Phijam Hemanjit Singh, 20 years old and CCTV visuals indicated that both had gone for a bike ride towards the foothills, the area that became the point of divide between two communities in Manipur. Like the girl, Hemanjit never returned home. Circumstances brought two fathers together who had to endure the agony of a wait that finally ended on Monday when the pictures of the duo lying on the ground, dead, surfaced after more than 80 days. Both belonged to the Meitei community.

“Since last evening, after I saw the pictures, I am anxious. It’s been over 2 months. I just need some clue as to where were the bodies dumped. I want to see my son, one last time. For so many days Manipur police did nothing and as a father, now I am denied to bid a proper goodbye to my son,” said Phijam Ibungobi Singh, father of Hemanjit. As we called him on Tuesday, he was in the middle of the road, helpless and restless, frantically looking for some clue of the area where the pictures of the duo were taken. “I called up the CBI and they are still trying to collect more evidence. In the past 2 months, I have visited the police station for the umpteenth time and urged them to find the children. But they didn’t move and never made any effort to find my son and the girl. If they don’t step out then how can they search? I want some clue about the place so that I can go and look for the bodies. I am a father after all,” he added.

Hemanjit’s mobile tower location, as claimed by the father was active in an area in Churachandpur, almost for three days after they went missing. In fact, he even alleged that at one point while he was frantically dialing his son’s number, someone had picked up the phone call once but the voice wasn’t that of his son’s.

News The Truth had met both families on July 26, this year, twenty days since the children had gone missing. Like last time, Hijam Kuljit Singh, father of Luwangbi could barely speak. Like last time, as we spoke on Tuesday his wails didn’t stop and nothing could console the inconsolable father. His house was filled with visitors but the father’s wait for his daughter to return home has ended. “I want justice. I want the culprits to be punished. I don’t want another father or family to lose their daughters, and their children like this. Police are telling us today that the Government is doing everything possible. I want to know what are they doing and what have they done so far,” screamed Hijam Kuljit Singh, yet to come to terms with the loss of their eldest daughter. As a mourning father, he has stacked all his daughter’s awards, paintings, and other belongings in front of his eyes, he wants everyone to watch them as they come to visit the bereaved family. “They are my daughter’s memories and that’s all that we are left with. That’s all we have now to share with others”, he added while tears kept rolling down. His wife, the mother of Luwangbi had fainted on Monday evening after she learned about the pictures and the news. She was under medical supervision at home and hadn’t had any food even after multiple insistence and requests that came her way.

Two families have fallen silent over the death of two children. A picture of the duo, considered to have been taken moments before they were killed, has also surfaced. The little girl could be seen staring at the camera, face half-covered with her mask but the fear in her eyes was unmissable. “India will forget my daughter and us one day but we will have to deal with that picture and those eyes every day, it is now etched in our hearts and minds reminding us of our collective inability to save two young lives”, the father of the minor girl said before vanishing inside the house, exhausted and exasperated.