Oinamlong incident under Operation Bluebird still haunt me – Sr. Journalist Luwangthoi narrates his experience.
THE 37TH ANNIVERSARY OF OPERATION BLUEBIRD, which was launched by the Indian Army in Oinam Village of Senapati district, was observed on July 9, 2025, under the initiative of the Naga Peoples Movement for Human Rights (NPMHR). With the completion of this programme, it marks 38 years since the incident took place.
At that time, I was a staff reporter of Huiyen Lanpao. Back then, the publication was one of the leading newspapers with wide public reach. However, the news items were printed via letterpress, not offset machines. Mobile phones were not available, and only landlines were in use. There was no immediate way to transmit news across regions. In the absence of services like Manipur Police Radio (MPR) or police personnel transporting updates from one district to another, disseminating news from remote areas posed a significant challenge. Even the position of PRO (Public Relations Officer) for the police did not exist back then.
Members of the All Manipur Working Journalists’ Union (AMWJU) were actively engaged, although the union itself had not yet been formally established at the time.
The triggering incident occurred on July 9, 1987, when nine personnel of the 21st Assam Rifles stationed at the Oinam Village post were killed and three others injured in an attack by the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN). Following this, from July 11, 1987, the Indian Army under the command of General P.L. Kukreti, then GOC of the Manipur Sector, launched a series of intense operations across various locations in the region. This included the infamous Operation Bluebird, centered at Oinam Village. At the time, Rishang Keishing was the Chief Minister, heading a Congress-led government.
Following the onset of Operation Bluebird, numerous civilians in Oinam Village were allegedly subjected to forced displacement, abuse, and brutal torture. Initial information regarding the atrocities was difficult to obtain due to the remote location.
Also read | 37 Years On, Pain Still Bleeds: Remembering 27 Killed, 340 Tortured in Oinam ‘Operation Bluebird’
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Chief Minister Rishang Keishing flew to Oinam Village in a helicopter. However, due to restrictions imposed by Indian Army officials, he was not allowed to land at the Assam Rifles helipad. Instead, he had to return to Imphal after only a brief overhead survey.
Following this, a Paomee (press) team from Imphal was sent to Oinam Village. This press visit remains one of the most memorable events in the history of Manipur’s media coverage, as journalists risked their lives to report on Operation Bluebird.
Members of the Paomee team included S.H. Gopal, editor of Poknapham; Nongmaithem Deven of Khollao; Iboyaima Laithangbam of The Hindu; and the narrator of this account. They traveled from Imphal in two jeeps with only four people. Upon reaching Senapati, two local residents joined as guides. Among them, one was later identified as a Congress worker named Solomon.
After receiving permission to enter Oinam Village from the Deputy Commissioner of Senapati, the team spent a night at Senapati and left the next morning after breakfast to enter Oinam.
(Note: This narrator was, at the time, a school teacher at Oinam High School residing in Senapati Bazaar. While leaving for the journey, a concerned local told his wife in the playground, “Don’t worry, he is going again as a teacher,” indicating the risk involved.)
While covering a 3 km stretch to Oinam Village, their jeep got stuck due to a landslide. The driver had to stay back, and the rest of the team walked through muddy paths to finally reach Oinam with the help of the guide.
About 1 km before entering Oinam, the team encountered three to four local villagers carrying long sticks. They informed the team that the area ahead was a restricted zone under the control of Army personnel and was being used as barracks.
The locals, concerned and hesitant, tried to stop the press team. At that point, some Army personnel emerged and stopped the group. When they declared themselves as press reporters and presented their identity cards, they were allowed to move a little ahead.
However, the Army soon blocked them from proceeding further and detained them temporarily for questioning.
The Congress worker Solomon, who acted as our guide, was taken away by the Army personnel to his village after being summoned, which made us very concerned.
The four of us, along with another guide, continued on foot after passing the area affected by the landslide. The mountain path was muddy and waterlogged due to rainfall. We moved cautiously through the area where a fresh landslide had occurred. However, the jeep we were traveling in could not proceed any further. We realized that it was impossible for the vehicle to pass through the landslide-affected area and thus had to continue on foot.
After walking around 3 to 4 kilometers from the site of the landslide, an Army Captain arrived in a jeep. He told us, “You may proceed only up to this point; this is as per the orders from higher authorities.” He also informed us that even our jeep, which was stranded behind, had been taken and kept at their post.
While passing near the office of the SDO of Purul, our guide pointed out a man lying sick with fever due to being forced to work as labour under Operation Bluebird by Army personnel. The man was lying unconscious and appeared to be in a miserable condition.
According to him, just after the launch of Operation Bluebird, many villagers were picked up and beaten mercilessly by the Army.
He also mentioned that due to the intense operation, all the men from Oinam Village aged 13 and above were summoned daily to the Assam Rifles campus and ordered to gather at four locations. After that, their wives were forced to carry food for them and serve them in front of the four gathering points.
What was shocking was that even for something as basic as a meal, the Army allegedly demanded chicken. If unavailable, they would settle for meat, and if that too was not possible, salt and chili powder would be accepted.
Women and children were gathered in the Oinam Playground and detained under makeshift bamboo enclosures. The area was sealed off with barbed wire fencing.
One of the most horrifying incidents reported was that in the playground where we were earlier detained, two women gave birth to babies. During the height of the operation, two women were allegedly raped and five others molested. A total of 27 people were severely tortured, and one person was tortured to death. 125 houses were burnt down. All domestic animals, cows, pigs, and chickens, were slaughtered or taken away.
As the 38th anniversary of Operation Bluebird was observed on July 9, 2025, memories of that painful past continue to haunt the victims. However, justice for those brutal incidents still remains elusive to this day.
At Purul SDO, we saw a man lying sick due to being forced to work as a forced labourer. After witnessing that incident and hearing more harrowing stories from locals, we continued our journey on foot. After covering a few more kilometers, we reached an Assam Rifles post, where we were shocked to find that our jeep had been seized and kept there without our knowledge.
As there was no place to have a proper meal and it was getting late, we walked through the hills and reached Lairourou Ching, where we found a hotel to have lunch. While we were about to eat, some Army personnel arrived, demanded our identity cards and jeep keys, and left the hotel with them.
They told us that we could not stay at the hotel and instructed us to wait outside in the rain. They said they would return our identity cards and jeep keys at 10 PM and left.
That night, in heavy rain, we waited until 10 PM, when we were finally informed that our ID cards and jeep keys were returned to the AR post at Lairou.
The next morning, after retrieving our belongings from the post, we returned to Imphal.
Due to this harassment while attempting to report a story of tremendous human suffering, we were unable to send out our reports immediately. The trauma and mistreatment we faced made it nearly impossible to function at that time.
The current generation of journalists should be aware of this painful legacy. Tamo Gopal and Ta Deven, who accompanied us on that journey, had written about it.
Tamo Iboyaima Laithangbam and I also continue to remember those haunting experiences, even today.
The author is a senior crime journalist in Manipur. He may be reached at luwangthoia@gmail.com