Guwahati: Ahead of the parliament session set to begin on Thursday, protesters, mainly women, in Imphal city and surrounding localities of Manipur defied the imposed curfew and staged various forms of agitation, including sit-ins.
Despite the heavy presence of Police, CRPF, and combined security forces, the agitations were foiled without resorting to tear gas canisters.
A notification from the state government on Wednesday stated that the curfew would not be relaxed in all valley and Kuki-dominated districts on July 19, 2023.
Notably, the government’s decision came after the Kwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee for Peace (KIKJCC), representing the women of the main market in Imphal town, appealed to all to make the “Mothers’ Protest” rally a resounding success on Wednesday.
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In response to the call by civil society groups, the KIKJCC’s co-convenor, K Dhaneshori, urged women from every locality to come out between 11 am and 1 pm.
They raised slogans demanding the rejection of separate administration, implementation of NRC, and immediate convening of an emergency assembly session.
Meanwhile, in the hill district of Kangpokpi, volunteers from the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) Sadar Hills showed support for the ongoing 72-hour complete shutdown that began in Kangpokpi district on July 16 at midnight.
The shutdown was initiated after three trucks belonging to M/S Misao Gas Service were torched, and there were alleged continuous attacks on Kuki-Zo villages in the peripheral areas of Kangpokpi district.
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Despite the curfew hours, a motorcycle rally was organized in the Kairang area in the Imphal East district.
Women-led agitations were observed at various locations, including Ima markets, Imphal city, Singhjamei, Uripok, Keishamthong, Wangkhei, Kongba, Sagolband, Yaiskul, Khurai, Tera, Pishumthong, and the greater Imphal areas.
The police have heightened security measures to prevent any untoward incidents during the protests.