In an appeal for peace in Manipur, the women vendors of Ima Market, under the banner of the Khwairamband Ima Keithel Coordinating Committee for Peace on Monday took to the streets of Imphal to demand immediate Parliamentary intervention.
The protest, which coincided with the commencement of the new Parliament session on Monday, highlighted the urgency of addressing the ongoing crisis in the state.
The protest began in the heart of Khwairamband Bazar, where a significant number of women vendors gathered early in the morning. Their initial plan was to march towards the Manipur Raj Bhawan and the Chief Minister’s Bungalow to press their demands.
However, their attempt was foiled by security forces who intercepted the protest near the western gate of Kangla Fort, redirecting the demonstrators back to Khwairamband Bazar.
Undeterred, the women vendors regrouped at the market and staged a sit-in protest in front of their respective market sheds.
Holding placards and chanting slogans, they expressed their deep frustration and disappointment over the continued violence and unrest that have plagued Manipur for the past 14 months.
The women vendors also vehemently opposed this demand for a separate administration by the Kuki-Zo community, calling for the unity and integrity of Manipur to be preserved.
Additionally, they voiced their concerns over the reported plans for mass combing operations by security forces aimed at nabbing Meetei village volunteers.
Peace Committee Co-convenor Huirem Binodini addressed the media during the protest and lamented the apparent silence of Manipur’s elected legislators on the state’s current turmoil.
(PHOTO: IFP)
“Our representatives have failed to raise their voices for the people they are supposed to serve. Their silence is a grave disservice to the citizens of Manipur who are living in fear and uncertainty,” she stated.
Binodini emphasised the critical need for Parliamentary action to address and resolve the 14-month long crisis.
She went on to caution that the people of Manipur and the state itself will separate themselves from India if the government failed to bring a concrete solution to the ongoing Manipur crisis at the earliest possible.
As the Parliament session proceeds, Manipur’s citizens are looking at the nation's leaders, hoping for concrete measures to be discussed and implemented to restore normalcy in the region.
