An Imphal-based civil society organisation which had on September 18 banned Manipur actress Soma Laishram from “acting” in films and “participating” in social functions for three years, told the Manipur Human Rights Commission (MHRC) on Wednesday that there was “no” restriction on her to act in film and participate in any social function from September 25.

On Monday, the MHRC had “prima facie” held the three-year ban imposed by a civil society organisation on Soma last week as a “violation of human rights of a citizen”.

Luwangcha U. Ngamkheingakpa, secretary general of Kangleipak Kanba Lup (KKL) had issued the press statement banning the actress for her participation in a beauty pageant in New Delhi on September 16 “while Manipur is still burning and dead bodies of fellow Meiteis are still lying rotting for four months”.

The ongoing unrest that erupted in Manipur on May 3 has claimed at least 176 lives and displaced over 67,000 in the strife-torn Manipur from both the Kuki and Meitei communities.

In a written submission before the MHRC on Wednesday, Luwangcha also said the KKL “in future will not restrain anybody” from carrying out their profession. KKL will also “not “interfere or violate” the legal right of any citizens under any circumstance.

“That, I also state that in future KKL will not issue any similar press release which may restrain the right of any individual from exercising their right to livelihood and other social activities,” the MHRC, quoted Luwangcha in its four-page order issued on Wednesday “closing the instant complaint petition with liberty to the complainant to file a fresh petition”.

“If the present respondent no. 3 (Luwangcha) and his organisation does anything harmful to victim Miss Soma Laishram or to the society or the citizen of Manipur at large, then the Police authority has at the liberty to take any action against respondent no. 3 and his organisation in accordance with law,” the MHRC order issued by MHRC chairperson Justice U.B. Saha and member K.K. Singh said.

The MHRC order also said a copy of the order, the complaint and the written statement of Luwangcha be published or circulated so that “no” organisation like KKL or any CSO “can go for any restriction to the citizen’s from doing their profession, business or any movement from one place to other and also from social activities” as the same would violate human rights “as entitled by them and more so, a citizen and/or organisation cannot take the law in their own hand, as maintenance of law and order is with the police authority and administration.”

The complaint was lodged by Shillong-based human rights activist Mukul P. on September 19, contending the KKL had “no authority” to impose any ban against the actress and banning the actress from her activities, including working with any film industry “is a violation of human rights”.

The MHRC had on Monday issued notices to the state police chief, Imphal West Police and Luwangcha as to why action should not be taken against Luwangcha for “banning” Soma though her “profession is legally permissible”.