UN special rapporteur arrives

Imphal, Apr 27: A day ahead of her scheduled visit,UN special rapporteur on violence against women Rasida Manjoo arrived her on Saturday on a two-day visit to the State giving a new platform to hordes of rights bodies to highlight their cases to her for redressal.

Straight after landing at Imphal airport in the afternoon, the UN representative met senior State officials including Chief Secretary, sour- ces said adding various civil bodies would be meeting her on Sunday.

To study the overall situation on violence against wo- men and its impacts in India, Manjoo is in the country and this is the first time a UN representative has landed in Manipur where crime against women is on the rise.

After taking stock of the situation on the subject matter, she will place a report to the UN human rights council in June, the sources said adding that the same would also be submitted to the UN Commission on situation of women and the UN general assembly later.

“We are so happy with her (Manjoo) visit to our state where most of the crime against women are perpetrated by the security forces under the shadow of the oppressive Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act,” Irom Singhajit, elder brother of Irom Sharmila Chanu, who has been fasting against the act since last twelve years told this reporter. A memorandum highlighting the plight of women inflicted by the ongoing conflict situation as well as the military act is likely to be submitted to her by the rights groups during the meeting on Sunday.