->Sobai Naphlang at 09:21, 28 July 2021

2021-07-28T09:21:43Z

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{{Infobox person
| name = Machal Lalung
| image =
| image_size =
| caption = Machal Lalung
| birth_date = 1928
| birth_place = [[Colonial Assam]], [[British Raj|British India]]
| death_date = 25 December 2007
| death_place = [[Morigaon]], [[Assam]], India
| occupation =
}}

'''Machal Lalung''' was a member of the [[Tiwa (Lalung)]] tribe of Assam from the village of Khalagaon (now Silchang) in [[Morigaon]], [[Assam]], who spent 54 years in an Indian jail without facing trial. He was arrested on the charges of "causing grievous harm" in 1951, and transferred to a psychiatric institution in [[Tezpur]], where he was forgotten. In 1967, the doctors certified him as fit, and he was moved to a jail in [[Guwahati]], where he spent nearly four decades. He was released in 2005, after the local human rights groups brought his case to the attention of the [[National Human Rights Commission of India]]. The [[Supreme Court of India]] ordered the [[Government of Assam]] to compensate him and provide him a monthly assistance amount. Lalung died in 2007.

==Early life==

Lalung was the youngest child of Lodor and Bihumoti Lalung. The family belonged to the [[Maslai]] [[clan]] of the [[Tiwa people (Lalung)|Tiwa]] tribe, and had come from the hills to settle in the Khalagaon area. His parents died when he was young, forcing him to live with his older sister's family.<ref name="Dvitiyomohajuddhote">''Dvitiyo mohajuddhote nirudisto howa lorator kotha'' (Tale of the boy lost in World War II), February 2008 issue, Bismoi, Page 12</ref>

==Arrest==

Lalung was arrested in 1951, at the age of 23, in his home village. He knew only [[Tiwa language (India)|Tiwa language]], and could not speak [[Assamese language|Assamese]], [[Hindi language|Hindi]] or [[English language|English]] - this might have prevented him from communicating with the authorities.<ref>''Dvitiyo mohajuddhote nirudisto howa lorator kotha'' (Tale of the boy lost in the World War II), Bismoi, Feb. 2008 issue, Page 12, 13</ref>

Lalung was booked under section 326 of the [[Indian Penal Code]] for "causing grievous harm", a charge which normally results in a sentence of no more than 10 years’ imprisonment.<ref name=bbc>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4712619.stm|title=Inmate's 50 years without trial|work=BBC News|date=2005-07-24|first=Subir|last=Bhaumik|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref> The civil rights organisations who investigated the case later found "no substantive evidence" to support the charge.<ref name=cc>{{cite web|url=http://www.countercurrents.org/hr-zora260805.htm|title=Fifty-four years in jail|publisher=countercurrents.org|date=2005-08-26|first=Parwini|last=Zora|accessdate=2009-01-22}}</ref>

Less than a year after his arrest, Lalung was transferred to a psychiatric institution in [[Tezpur]], and apparently forgotten.<ref name=bbc/><ref name=cc/> In 1967, doctors certified Lalung as "fully fit", but instead of being released, he was transferred to a jail in [[Guwahati]], where he remained until his release.<ref name=cc/><ref name=bbc/>

==Release==

In 2003, local human rights groups brought Lalung's case to the attention of the [[National Human Rights Commission of India]]. As a result of the Commission's intervention, his case was heard and he was released on June 1, 2005, after paying a token bond of one [[Indian rupee]].<ref name=cc/><ref name=bbc/> Following his release, the [[Supreme Court of India|Indian Supreme Court]], taking ''[[suo motu]]'' notice, ordered the [[Government of Assam|State Government]] to pay Lalung a compensation of [[Rs.]] 3 [[lakh]] and a monthly assistance of Rs. 1,000 for life.<ref name=TH>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/01/stories/2007070156291000.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703054335/http://www.hindu.com/2007/07/01/stories/2007070156291000.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-07-03|title=A lifetime in illegal detention|date=2007-07-01|first=Sushanta|last=Talukdar|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2009-01-23}}</ref>

==After the release==
Lalung's sister had died in 2000, leaving Lalung with no family or relatives. After Lalung's release, he was taken back to his village, where only one villager recognised him. "We handed him over to the village headman but could not find his family or relatives" said a police official.<ref name=bbc/>

Lalung died on 25 December 2007.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/28/stories/2007122859141700.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071231180904/http://www.hindu.com/2007/12/28/stories/2007122859141700.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-12-31|title=Machang, who spent 54 years in jail without trial, dies|date=2007-12-28|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|accessdate=2009-01-23}}</ref>

After he was released from Gopinath Bordoloi Mental Hospital in 2005, a Supreme Court lawyer F. I. Choudhury wrote letter to then CJI Justice R. C. Lahoti regarding the plight of Lalung. CJI took cognizance and the letter was treated as ' letter petition' under its epistolary jurisdiction and the matter was heard in open court. In this case finally Supreme Court of India passed detail judgment regarding the undertrials who are languishing either in jail or mental hospital.<ref>https://www.outlookindia.com/newswire/story/man-in-jail-for-54-years-without-trial-sc-issues-notice-to-assam-govt/334491</ref><ref>https://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051112/nation.htm#6</ref><ref>http://infochangeindia.org/news-archives/37-human-rights/news/4820-man-jailed-for-50-years-without-trial-gets-rs-3-lakh-compensation</ref>

== In popular culture ==
[[Image:freedomattheedge.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Indra Bania]] (centre) as ''Machal'' in [[Freedom at the Edge]]]]
''[[Freedom at the Edge]]'' is a [[short film]] by Aneisha Sharma, based on Lalung's story.<ref name=TH/>

==Machal or Machang==
Pranjal Kumar Mahanta, a correspondent of Assamese magazine ''[[Bismoi]]'', met Lalung while preparing a report about him, and showed him a copy of Aneisha Sharma's film. Lalung reportedly told him that his name was ''Machal'', and not ''Machang'' as shown in the film.<ref>''Dvitiyo mohajuddhote nirudisto howa lorator kotha'' (Tale of the boy lost in the World War II), Feb. 2008 issue, Bismoi, Page 15</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}
*{{Cite journal|title=Bismoi|date=February 2008|pages=11}}

==External links==
*[http://www.bismoi.com Bismoi magazine]
*[http://aneishasharma.blogspot.com/2007/05/freedom-at-edge_18.html Aneisha Sharma's blog]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lalung, Machal}}
[[Category:Tribal people from Assam]]
[[Category:People from Morigaon district]]
[[Category:2007 deaths]]
[[Category:Prisoners and detainees of India]]
[[Category:People of British India]]
[[Category:1928 births]]

Machal Lalung - Revision history

->Sobai Naphlang at 09:21, 28 July 2021