Sinam Ongbi Chandrajini lost two of her sons, 17-year-old Sinam Chandramani and 27-year-old Sinam Robinson, in the Malom massacre that took place on 2 November 2000at malom, Manipur. The younger son, Chandramani was a bright young man; a national bravery awardee while his elder brother, Robinson was a graduate teacher. Her younger son was waiting for a bus with his friend to go for tuition when the army security forces assaulted and later killed them. Sinam Robinson , her elder son, alongwith his aunt ( his mother’s elder sister) set out of the house 15 to 20 minutes later to drop her back home when they got caught in the firing and lost their lives. Sinam Ongbi Chandrajini remembers how restless she was when she heard the gunshots, but was informed of the death of her sons and elder sister only the next day.
During the testimony, Sinam Ongbi Chandramini lamented, “Which mother can bear the pain of losing two sons and a sister on the same day”. However, she goes on saying that today, after years of the incidents, she feel, “ like me, there might be thousands of mother who might have lost their sons or daughters or husbands or relatives. The suffering is so painful and never-ending.”
Today, living in a recuperating stage she feel that no doubt least could be done to avoid the incident that robbed her sons and sister from her life but she strongly feel to do something for her locality and her nation to avoid such instances from taking place in future. She wish that other people should wake up from their sleep and join hand in hands in making successful in taking up this step. Certain rules and regulations should be followed by everyone in using such a dreadful weapon who cannot distinguish between an innocent and a culprit.
But Manipur Women Gun survivors Network has been supporting her from 2008 by opening her bank account and by giving too interest free capital to help start her handloom production based at home at Malom village. She also has been advocating survivors rights and rehabilitation to members of parliament and other policy makers.She now proudly runs handloom and handicraft business providing herself and several other women in her village for employment and income generation.