Imphal, Sept 20: Normal life in Manipur’s Imphal valley districts came to a standstill for the second day as a 48-hour statewide shutdown, called by Meira Paibis, a collective of Meitei women, and five local clubs, demanding the unconditional release of five “village defence volunteers” arrested by the police, continued.
On the second day of the strike, educational institutions, markets, banks, and commercial establishments remained closed. Government offices had minimal attendance, and only a few vehicles plied the roads.
Throughout the five districts of Imphal Valley, women gathered in large numbers to block roads and raise slogans demanding the release of the arrested youths. They criticized the state government and the police for their perceived inability to maintain law and order in the hill areas.
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S Sakhi, a protester in Wangkhei, Imphal East district, said, “Police continue to arrest, detain, and fire tear gas shells on unarmed civilians across the five districts of Imphal valley while doing hardly anything against the armed gunmen openly taking out processions in Kuki-dominated areas of Churachandpur and Kangpokpi districts.”
Protester S Bebisana in Naoremthong, Imphal West district, explained, “The village volunteers’ job is to protect Meitei villages in the periphery of the hill and valley areas from attacks by Kuki Zo militants.”
The protests stem from the arrest of five youths who were found in possession of sophisticated weapons and wearing camouflage uniforms. The police released a statement indicating that the five had been presented before a judicial magistrate and remanded to police custody.
On September 16, protesters attempted to storm the Porompat police station, demanding the release of the detained youths. This led to a stand-off in which security forces fired several rounds of tear gas shells. A few protesters and a Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel sustained minor injuries during the confrontation.
