Angel’s Place | Justice4Siasiam

by Lealyan Thawmte

It was on the 26th of January this year, India’s Republic Day, that I had written an article about the events and incidents preceding the death of Siasiam – an orphan living at the Angels Place – a story which few in the online circles and back in Lamka have known. It somehow never made it out in the public or local domain because it was effectively muted. A lone reporter, though, did his bit in the Sangai Express in a few sentences.

Yes. I was a late comer to the story. In fact, I’d only heard about it a week or so after the death of Siasiam. From some very concerned citizens. And I’d asked them to tell me the whole story, to provide me the facts, the backgrounds, statements from witnesses, families and documents if any, to support the claims that Angels Place indeed did the dirty deed they did. They came within a matter of days. I checked and doubled checked. For the simple reason that I could never envisage that this kind of cruelty, evil and high handed conspiracy can prevail in our society. More so, at an orphanage. But as I delved deeper into the story and spent countless hours gathering facts, I realized what I had in my hands. Damn.

It was a bombshell. No wonder everyone who read the story were gripped by it. Many were disgusted. Most were angry. More so by the actions of some individuals and the Angel’s Place sheer audacity in trying to subdue the story. Not to mention the levity with which they treated the whole affair as if it were a minor irritant – a niggling stain, if you must – to their impeccable reputation is nothing short of revolting. Many more sympathized with the victim – an orphan – and the siblings and the poor illiterate mother he left behind.

To cut a long story short. Everyone is now aware of the story. More than 750 signatories worldwide shouted foul play and demanded justice. Now do I have to go into details and reproduce who said what in his or her defense? Or who commented what? Those are the least of my concerns as of now. I do not normally write a story unless I am sure about what I am writing. Still, I’d coated my words carefully knowing too well that I will be putting our system and society to a test. I also knew that only the guilty would respond in denial and defend themselves. I also came down hard on a couple of organisations, one of which proves me wrong. Keeping intact their principles, integrity and their sense of justice – they responded to the call for help. I was impressed and humbled by their tenacity and perseverance in their tireless efforts to expose the truth. And they did. The Zomi Mother’s Association.

And it’s time for me to salute them. Time, I also stood up for them, alongside them and continue this story.

It is now evidently clear who the guilty are. Who did what to cover up their macabre act. Who exploited their clout, powers, muscles, local contacts and their affinity with politics. And who did what to salvage whatever image they had been portraying. It is now common knowledge that a warden at Angels Place, in a fit of anger or madness went berserk – as my brother puts in – on a fifteen year old orphan. True.

But, I do not think, the warden was the one who tried to hush up the incident. And it was not the warden who threatened the local media. And sure enough it was not the warden, who let the hospital discharge the seriously injured and bleeding Siasiam on the 29th November, at Lamka, against medical advice. Certainly he was not the one who proclaimed that Siasiam died of blood cancer. Nor was he the one who’d prepared and affidavit for Siasiam’s mother to sign. And certainly not the one flashing a diagnostic results of from Babinna something. So who could it be? Was it the Superintendent? Or someone higher up? Much higher, maybe? Your guess is as good as mine.

This is an old yarn I’m spinning now. And we all have arrived at our own conclusions. I just re-wrote it as a follow-up to my earlier article to emphasize it, and also to pay my tributes and respects to the then ZMA and their futile pursuit for justice. For being a voice for the voiceless. The poor, orphans and widows. And for me, to dare people who wish to silence my conscience and principles. People who have no qualms in gagging the truth as long as it serves their interests – be it personal or political – and pockets. I must say I’d tried to be as objective as I could in ‘An Angel’s Death’. No more. I am part of the story now. Certainly not by choice. Angels Place has blood on its hand. And no amount of clarification or political manoeuvrings or connections or wealth is going to wash that off. Not even threats or press releases.

All I had wished then, as I wrote that story, and all I had hoped and all I ever believed in was for peace, understanding, a graceful dialogue, expression of regret and compensations. Admission of guilt from Angels Place and forgiveness from Sisiam’s family. An amicable reconciliation so we could go on with our lives. Their lives, to be more precise. This should not be happening in our society, nor should it be allowed to happen again. I was so wrong. And in all my innocence and naivete, I’d thought that humanity and compassion would prevail. That justice would triumph. Sadly, it does not. Instead the perpetrators of this heinous deeds and those behind and certain vested interests chose to politicise the entire issue. Because that’s what they are good at. That’s how they make their livings.

But now, all I can do is to make sure this story does not meet with a premature demise – just because some nutcase from a certain organization or office issued a Press Release. And certainly not because there were strong intimations of threats in it. Naeh. Been there, done that. It’s time we realize that justice does not lie in the hands of the rich or the powerful. Or the political elite. Or a few who sat in chairs of position and power. Or at the barrel of a gun. And the poor are not as weak in courage. They have nothing to lose. Neither do I. While so clearly in this case of lies, deceit and greed, we all know that the other party has their Dollars and reputation at stake. And I am sure they will put up a pretty spirited fight for as long as they possibly can. With denials and delays and counter claims. So be it.

In the meantime, let me take you back through some of the dramas played out. Just in case you have missed out. Not because I have the time or the desire to pronounce a guilty verdict over and over again. But to drive my points across. Just for the record, I do not have any interest in petty political machinations. Neither do I have politicalaffiliations nor do I wish to be in one. But as a person, as a son of an orphan, as a father, as a concerned fellow human being and as someone who dares to speak out the truth. Always. This is something I have to do. God forbid it does not turn out messy.

After Angels Place found out that they are being finally cornered and the ZMA came out with damning evidence after evidence, the Angel’s Place sent a team of ’Inndongta’ to the victims family to hush up the case once again; without the knowledge of the ZMA, who now represents the victims. Though I am still perturbed as to how an institution or an orphanage can have a “INNDONGTA”. That, too, after the fact that both parties, that is Angels Place and Siasiam’s family welcomed the intervention of the ZMA to settle the issue amicably. Wait, even the Zomi Council nodded their approval.

The Angel’s Place, on finding that their back door initiatives foiled and exposed, now expressed their concern about the ZMA’s finding and questioned its impartiality. So they approached the PTC (Paite Tribe Council) on that pretext. Even though it is alleged that PTC had some interests – personal or political – in taking up the case they were forced to take a back seat since the ZMA, an organization comprised of several tribes under the Zomi fold has a higher authority. Despite this setback, the Angels Place still had another card up their sleeve. The Zomi Council. While the Angels Place were planning their next move, the ZMA had began to wrap up their investigations and had called for a meeting to resolve the issue. Which was also attended by several prominent local organizations.

However, the Angels Place did not attend this crucial meeting, but instead issued a statement that they had not been invited, thatJustice4Siasiam – a pressure group formed after the zogam.com exposure – had threatened to close down the orphanage, that they are not in possession of a certain amount of money decreed by the ZMA as compensation to be paid to Siasiam’s family. With the proposed amicable settlement now deliberately rendered ineffectual by the Angels Place’s absence, the ZMA in consultations with other social organizations issued a letter signed and approved by signatories from the ZHRF, ZSF, ZYA, ZEPADA, ZMA, CDSU and the ZC speaker – in all 21. Only one person refrained. The Chairman of the Zomi Council, a former MLA or something like that.

The resolution, asking the Angels Place to appear before the ZMA on the 11th February, however, was sent without the signature of the Chairman of the ZC. The Angels Place on noticing that the letter they had received was devoid of the signature of the ZC Chairman was quick to exploit that tiny loophole and immediately sent off a formal request to the ZC for their ‘kind and impartial’ intervention in settling the issue. And with that pretext firmly in place – and apparently in good hands – defiantly missed the proposed 11th February meeting again.

In the meantime, the ZC had began to look into the case. It is learnt that the Chairman had made a statement in which he’d said that, and I QUOTE: “the ZMA has no legal powers unlike the ZC, and since this being an issue between the Paites – the PTC should take it over”. This particular statement was recorded on tape. And was was made sometime during the proposed final settlement and before the case was officially taken up by the ZC as requested by the Angels Place. Do you now get the picture? Yes? Good. No? Read on.

Now, the ZMA being effectively sidelined and the case in ZC’s hands – they were summoned by the ZC on the 12th February – which the ZMA refused to attend citing that if their efforts and endeavors to work for an amicable settlement to the issue is not appreciated, then they have no moral rights to hold their office and instead submitted their resignation en-masse. Meantime, interestingly enough, just after the Angels Place issued their supposedly last clarifications on the issue, the ZC came out with a Press Release signed by a K. Chinkhansuan that since the case of the death of Siasiam is now in the hands of the ZC no other orgs/person should be involved etc. Crap.

Never mind what the AP said in their various clarifications or the ZC in their Press Release. You have followed the story. Day in and day out. And you knew who were striving to get a peaceful and amicable settlement to this tragic incident. You know the villains by now. The ZMA put in all the efforts they could. They even carry out an investigation of their own. They did not get paid, they did not have to get their hands dirty. But they knew – as Mothers representing the Zomis, and respecting the position they held. They sacrificed their time, energy and resources. Not to glorify themselves, but to seek the truth, which they did, and to negotiate for a peaceful settlement .They stood by their principles and they would have succeeded in closing this case amicably – until they hit a wall.

Not literally, more so a political one in the form of so called Zomi Council or rather, its Chairman, whom I did not know much about. But I do know that Chairmen can be very powerful in our society. However, I cannot help wondering whether he was elected by the people to head the ZC? Or did he just come to it by virtue of his not-too-successful experience as a former people’s representative? Yea, it’s true I have no idea how much the owner of Angel’s Place, supposedly a very big shot with political links, has a hold over the ZC Chairman. I don’t know. I don’t care. All I know is that Dollars can be very attractive. Or even vote banks. No wonder it is so rightly said that – When money speaks, truth remains silent.

Even as the ZC majestically handed out the negotiating powers to the PTC, we knew that FIRs have been filed, the supposedly culprit taken into custodyy and the body of Siasiam exhumed for autopsy -questions still remains as to if forensics alone can now settle this issue. While all the efforts taken by the ZMA for an amicable settlement were ignored and bypassed, I am sure the victims as much as the watching online media have already made up their minds. We knew what was going on. I also believe that many of us supported the ZMA’s efforts. Before politics makes its entry. Yea..not many know about the procedures, formalities and bureaucracy at the ZC or PTC. But many of us knew what is right and wrong. And what the ZMA did was right.

Sadly, the Angels Place and those who run it chose to fight it out with a few cronies or a mass of wealth at disposal. I don’t know why. I am not surprised either. They never took care of orphans. Its the orphans who took care of them. Still, all I know is that there are people, now ready to take it a notch up. And they are ready to fight this out. Its sad that this local story has now to be not only a local, state or national thing – but may even go international. For the many people who believed in justice and humanity are not restricted to the electric-less, gun-controlled or under the payroll of a few who has it going in a tiny valley town. And they are hell bent now on bringing down those pillars of shame in our society.

So, let those who’d play politics bask in their supposedly interim glory of deceit, denials and unholy deals. This story is just beginning. The case, as I wrote this is sub-judice, in a court of law. It may take months or even years. But it will not stop until Siasiam gets the justice he deserves. And voices like mine and many others – who would rather live in a society and world where orphans and widows and the poor live and die in as much dignity; as those who live off their miseries – will not be silenced by a Press Release or a Council.

And we will fight on. Not only for Siasiam and justice. But also to restore honor and respect to the Zomi Mothers Association – THE REAL ANGELS of this story.

– Lunte Samte

A young boy of barely 15, Siasiam, suffered internal bleeding, apart from others, after being given corporal punishment by the warden at Angel’s Place on November 25, 2009.He was admitted to the Lamka District Hospital after three days. After three damn days. The hospital admission’s records on November 28, 2009 (9:05, pm precisely) note the patient as having “multiple bruise injury over the back, back of both LL (I don’t know what LL means)… injury/blow … swollen hands.” Provisional diagnosis is listed as “anemia following assault.” Haemoglobin was only 4.8 and 5 units of blood transfusion was recommended ASAP.

Soon, rumors began to spread and eventually reached the media. Reporters visited the boy at the hospital, took some pictures and wrote detailed reports about the incident. And yet somehow these reports never found their way into the newspapers. The manager of Angel’s Place, Ruata created a scene at the hospital as well as at the newsrooms of various local papers and cable operators, telling them not to write or broadcast anything related to the incident. He even threatened them. Which is why the incident was never reported in the local papers, except for The Sangai Express.

Apparently, Lamka media remained virtually silent on this. And even family members were in the dark.

Somehow Siasiam’s aunt got the news that their boy was admitted to the hospital following a severe thrashing and torture, and after staying there for a couple of nights, he was brought back to the home even as doctors at the hospital referred him to be treated at Imphal. She went to the home and confronted Ruata. As she was led into the room, she was shocked to see a pale delicate-looking Siasiam who was always playful and energetic, lying with urinary catheter dangling down beside the bed. She asked, “What had our boy done? What did he do to bear this?” Ruata said, “Let us not talk about what had been done. Instead, let us talk about how we should go about dealing with difficult children.”

When Siasiam’s mother visited him, she asked, “Bawi, what happened? What did they do to you?” Siasiam could not respond. He was intimidated by the presence of staffs around. He simply said, “He nu, I will tell you when I recover.”

Thereafter, family members and relatives were not allowed to visit Siasiam anymore. Wardens at the home told them that he was okay and that they did not need to worry about him. On one occasion, they said, “You can’t meet him right now, he’s busy playing football with his friends.” Poor family members believed them and went back home, thinking that their boy was fine. They didn’t hear anything back from the home.

Until December 29, 2009 when he was admitted to the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) in Imphal. Records from the hospital state the provisional diagnosis as severe anemia. Unlike the previous hospital stay, Siasiam could be with her mother this time and I guess this would mean so much to him. Venesection was done the next day as doctors failed to insert IV cannula. But his condition progressively worsened.

At 3:35 am December 31, 2009 he passed away in the loving arms of his mother. To be with the angels in heaven. The real Angels’ place. Where there are no tears, no pain, no torture, no death. Only joy and peace and love.

The body was buried in Singngat the same day without an autopsy being performed. The home made a non-examining physician write a death certificate stating that the cause of death was blood cancer and that this had nothing to with corporal punishment. Note that according to the RIMS’ Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, the immediate cause of death was pulmonary oedema and antecedent cause as anemia. No where in the record is there any indication of blood cancer.

The home gave Rs. 3000 as compensation to the mother.

Emotions betray the poor mother. She still cries today, not tears of grief, but because the death of her son makes her feel so bad and guilty that she had done nothing to save her loving son and that she was not able to be with him when he needed her most. Her son didn’t get to tell her what really happened on the 25th November, 2009 at Angel’s Place. Yet.

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