Was The Manipur Lynching Communal?

The government of Manipur and the Joint Action Committee (JAC) came to an agreement yesterday that the police officials who did not perform their duties during Md. Farooque Khan’s lynching on Thursday would face action. The JAC also demanded swift arrest of the two persons who were with Farooque to determine what really transpired on that day. In connection with the public outcry against the lynching, the people from Oinam Sawombung and Wangoi held a torch rally decrying the lynching. They also demanded that the government take steps to curb this emerging culture of lynchings.

It was initially reported that on September 13, suspected vehicle thieves entered the vehicle shed belonging to Moirangthem Girani who is posted with the 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB). At around 4:30 am, the family members heard sounds coming from the shed and dogs barking. When they stepped out of the house, they found an unidentified person trying to steal their scooter. When the family members shouted for help, the person dropped the scooter and fled into a vehicle.

The vehicle sped away and suddenly stopped with the occupants disembarking and running into the paddy fields. While the locals were searching the paddy fields, some torched the car. The locals eventually found one person hiding in the paddy fields upon which they beat him. The locals then informed the police who arrived after a few hours and took the person to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS). The person succumbed to his injuries at RIMS, and then was identified as Md. Farooque Khan, a 26 year old from Lilong Haoreibi.

Following the news of Khan’s death, the JAC was formed. The JAC initially demanded an impartial investigation into the death, while alleging that Khan was tortured and killed. Other details that emerged were that Khan had completed his MBA from Karnataka College of Management in Bangalore in 2016. At the time of the lynching, he was running a restaurant in Wangoi Bazar. In this light, it seems improbable that a person with a degree and a business would involve themselves in lifting two-wheeler vehicles.

Another story of the lynching that has emerged does not talk about the circumstances under which Khan was nabbed by the locals, but instead mentions that Khan was detained and questioned in a local club. Heikrujam Shama Devi, a member of a local women’s group, informed the public that during the questioning, Khan divulged his name and that he was accompanied by two other persons, Altaf and Wasim. He also told the locals that the car they had come in belonged to Altaf. While he was being interrogated, some people passing by dragged him out and started beating him.

An editorial in the Imphal Free Press speculated that if the people had not found out that Khan was a Pangal – a Manipuri Muslim – maybe he would not have been beaten to death. This line of thinking has been supported by the statements made by those who have condemned the incident. The United People’s Front, Manipur, made an appeal against communalising the incident on Friday. On Saturday, the Manipur Students’ Federation urged the public to desist from communalising the incident. They also requested the police to be vigilant and thwart any communal clashes that may occur.