January 24, 2010

The Curious Case of the Death of Siasiam

My New Year Resolution: To stop reading Manipur Express and The Lamka Post.

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. A 15-year-old inmate of Angel's Place, a children home was admitted in the District Hospital due to internal injuries sustained in the course of punishment by his warden, says the report. Read here further.

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.

As for me, I've stopped reading Manipur Express and The Lamka Post since New Year. They don't tell stories that matter. I don't believe them anymore.

Related article: An Angel's Death by Lealyan Thawmte

January 17, 2010

Some Facebook wall posts...

Here's some of my Facebook wall posts worth sharing...

J A N U A R Y 1


Why did he have to die? Was it God's plan? His time had come? 15-year-old Lianlemsiam, an orphan at Angel's Place in Lamka, passed away Dec 31, 2009. Family members are still in the dark as to what the actual cause of death was. Rumours have been circulating... Lamka media remains virtually silent. Obviously, something is seriously wrong here.

RIP Lemsiam. Lord, please be with his family.

Reports from The Sangai Express

December 2, 2009: A 15-year-old inmate of Angel's Place, a children home was admitted in the District Hospital due to internal injuries sustained in the course of punishment by his warden. The boy identified by his attendants as Lianlalsiam s/o Chinkhovung of Singngat village was admitted at around 8.30 pm on Saturday at the Medicine ward of the hospital but following discovery of his nature of injury, doctors referred him to the Surgical ward of the same hospital, source said.

Read the rest of the report here
Replies to this post from friends:
Lal Hauxel: RIP Lianlemsiam! My deepest condolences. Have a stint there as a warden for a month some years back...the administration really needs revamping. Kietkolna lam diklou deuh om adiam, naupang te hon beisan zeuh2 ve uh aw a vangkim in..??!!

Lam Hanghal: RIP Lianlemsiam. Its a high time dat we understand the true value of human life. Life is so precious to be wasted like dis. Where are the medias? Why the medias are silent? I don't understand. Can no one see dat there is something going wrong here? We can atleast do some justice for the departed soul. You ana I have to do sumthing about dis. Let make our voices count.

Joy Thanglian: eh, hiailama le scandal ana omnawn hia?? Delhi lamte mah in na theithei ua, Lamka a i omleh ki theikha vetlou aive :-) nevertheless, RIP Siam!!
J A N U A R Y 6

Aw, Van Angel te'n huai Nov 25 ni a Angels' Place nuse kha uh ahi diam... Chiangpum a kizepna leh khe a kitot zialzialna ging ngaih takmai kawm ah, "Ana lua, ana lua!" chia lelliang, naupang Siasiam a kahna aw gingte'n Angelte' Mun thawn zoulou ahi diam...


Replies to this post from friends:

P Jehovah Samte: Van Angel te'n bel nuselou peuhmah diing uh, Angel's Place taktak ahihleh!

Kuaude Naulak: Hiai thu kenle kana zakha vuat a, thuchian omlou hia? A case bangtan tungta? Ki deihsak ihih leh ganhing bangmai a kibawl a ki sat zotzot lou in, deihthoh tak in itna toh ki thuhilh leng himai lou hiam....?? Corporal punishment ziak a naupang khat in a hinna a taan mai zaw,,,, a sungkuan te a di'n puaksiam a haksa mah di!!! Gam le nam it a i neih... See More ... See Moreorganisation simsenglouh te koi a omta? ZHRF, ZMA, ZSF etc. etc te husa zaak ding omlouh tel lamdang kasa!! They should geared up to fight the case to prevent recurrence of such sad incident in days to come! Why the media maintain a silent spectator by abstaining from investigating the matter?? Why so? The main accused should be punished proportionate to the crime he had committed! Let us stop playing with the live of others as human life is too precious to lose... Let's bring back some peace to his resting Soul....we are with you, Siam.
Ben Guite: Chizau huai na mai e maw. Postmortem report khong evidence di omlou tel hi di mo. Organisation te kialou le Doctor in le Casefile thei a hih lam theilou a hi d mo.

Muan Guite: Lets pray for it...

Kuaude Naulak: Lametna om nawnlou Imphal hospital a puak ahihlai in, doctor te'n 'Blood Cancer' a ngoh mawk uh lamdang mahmah. Internal bleeding kha blood cancer symptom mah hia? Ka gingta kei!! Kuate hiam in doctor nu/pa guai a a case a complicate sak utlouh ziak ua Blood Cancer ngoh sak gawp uh hidi'n ka muangmoh tinten. Cancer natna nei a, damlou kholle hilou... See More ... See Moresiphut chihchu zuauman lotel kasa. Bangziak a a laitat di kuana a sungkuan te beek a hilhlouh tel uh!! A luang pe'n pholhthak a forensic expert te suisak tuak kasa mahmah. A sihna ziak diktak theih uthuai lua. Kazak dan in, a sihma deuh in ' a hon pek zialzial UH/ a hon sat zialzial UH' a chi. Angel's Place, an orphanage home run by a christian organisation turn to be a Horrible Place now. I gam ah zaw sum le pai i neih keileh thudik gupngam leng hi nawnlou, sum le pai hau leng i hihteng DIK hivek mai di dan eive! Where is the love?? chihzaw ana dik khatel eee.. Let's stand together to make this world a better place to live. We can't compromise money and power with our precious life.I urged the concern authorities and organisation to take legal actions and book the culprits at the earliest possible time.. say NO to 'Indongta kihou lemna'.. HUMAN LIFE IS PRECIOUS, JUSTICE SHOULD BE DELIVER AT ANY COST!!
Tk Qual: Neizou deuh hileng zaw, hiai bang hong tunglou mah...... "Nu neilou te nu' hi a, Pa neilou te' Pa hi. A iit ding neiloute a IIt pa Van Pahian aw "Pa aw amaute ngaidam in" chithei lai tel ding ka duam?? Toupa nathu bang zel hong hita hen!! "Pa aw enin Simlei na tatsa nungchiang heiin hambang vai ungh"....
P Jehovah Samte: Ahihleh bng? Talpaak te'n bawn BT Rd a mi 1 commando ten athah ziak lel ua, skul kha 4 sung a khak zoh uleh, en hihtheih neilou i dyam?
Blue Moon: Heiha...mi tung a te tata a voi maw corrupt..Lunte, Blood Cancer ahih leh,how did they know?? What about treatment?? Painful death hi ve ve di ahi..Huai Doctor pa diagnosis kha suizui din a hoih ka sa..Blood Biopsy khong in hun sawtpi la ahi..@Kuaude, internal bleeding pouh2 cancer ziak ahi kei..Physical abuse ziak a le bleeding thei ahi...Funds ... See Moretampi pi khong Foreign a pat hiven maw...iitna leh hepihna na neilou,zuau gamtat,sumduhna leh mahni pocket puak vah na mai2 dia Orphanage khong hon...a paap zaw sang mah ve maw..??? Ka hehlua!!
Tk Qual: Student Organization, Philantrophic Organization te' tuhun a i daih dide hi thei in i koih ua adiam?? aih keh kuate hiam in i kam uh hon humsak tei ua pau ngam omlou houh i duam??? i khotang a hibang thiltung mulkim huai salou i duam?? Kou mizawngte kah leh mauna leng hong ngaihkhiak sak sam ve ua oi...................

Blue Moon: US te funding hia, Angel Place te kha??? Sum in vai a naak hawmzoh ngei maw?? Christian kichi ngal a..Pathian lauhna koi ah? Diktat na koih a om hi ta hiam?? @TK...kua mah a khut uh a diah nop kei uh leh..nam sepaih te khong tu hun a a kilat diu ei voi...Gam neih louh buai pih2 sang in ah..chi leh nam te humbit zo ta le ei ve le...!!
J A N U A R Y 8

My niece

J A N U A R Y 11

Thousands of people marched towards River Tuivel in protest against the Manipur govt's inaction in constructing and maintaining the Guite Road. It's one of the most remarkable mass movements in the history of Manipur, says the media. But, do they know it's the Zomi contractors/MLAs/ministers and not the Manipur govt that betray the people?

Lelliang Zomi te mahmah!

Reports from The Sangai Express:

Imphal, January 11 2010: Thousands of people today turned up along the 145 kms stretch of Guite Road in response to the Guite Road Black Day Organizing Committee's mass protest social work, underlining the over-whelming public support for their cause and the need for an all weather road connecting Mizoram to this southern district.

Read the complete report here.
J A N U A R Y 13

The narrow lane in Munirka this morning was a bit muddy and slippery and i slipped, landing flat on my ass...OUCH! Na rura. Zumhuai rura. Luckily, it was early morning and there were only few people around :-)


J A N U A R Y 13

Here's Song Valte (from Rig Vedaz) performing Thangboi Mangte's "Na pallou diing in" @
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER - A Tribute to our legend singers: Thangboi Mangte and Muana Ngaihte (Angel's Vision Presentation)




J A N U A R Y 14


Paying
homage to the 2 brave ZRA soldiers who gave their life Jan 12 for the love of Zogam. They were fighting some Talpak militants who had been terrorizing the Zomis in and around the Indo-Myanmar border. RIP, dear fallen heroes. We will not forget you.

J A N U A R Y 16

People need to know the truth about the Jan 13, 2010 Phaisat clash. ZRAs were not the only ones suffering casualties, as opposed to the Press Release by PLA published in various Manipur newspapers. Reports surface that 3 PLA cadres were killed and many gravely injured in a fierce fight between the two that lasted for over one hour.


3 PLA cadres killed, many injured at the Jan 13 Phaisat clash: Zogam.com