Events

Mr. Babloo Loitongbam is a lawyer, anthropologist and human rights activist. He is the Executive Director of Human Rights Alert, a Manipur based organization that seeks justice for victims affected by conflict. He is also a Fulbright scholar and an Ashoka Life Fellow. He has been a crusader who has fought for the repeal of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). He is also the coordinator of the Extrajudicial Execution Victims Families Association Manipur (EEVFAM), which is an organisation of families of persons who have been extrajudicially executed. Mr. Babloo has been instrumental in bringing to light the injustice faced by the people of Manipur. His organisation’s findings led the Supreme Court of India to appoint a fact-finding commission to investigate cases of extrajudicial killings in Manipur. The Court then ruled that ‘excessive force’ by the police or the armed forces is not permissible. This led to a drop in the number of extrajudicial killings, while also sending a strong message to the potential perpetrators. The ruling also captured the attention of the rest of the nation to the plight of the people of Manipur under AFSPA. There is a need for securing justice and protecting the human rights of people for the restoration of peace in Manipur.