Condemning the stoic silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the inability of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to put an end to the over two-month-old crisis in Manipur, women vendors in Imphal have demanded pre-merger political status.
The women vendors in large number staged a protest at Khwairamband Ima Market on Saturday condemning the central leaders for not addressing the ongoing unrest. The protest was organised by the Khwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Co-ordinating Committee for Peace.
Addressing the media at the sidelines of the protest, one of the protesters, Huirem Binodini Devi said that the present conflict has been continuing for over two months now. But central leaders have not uttered a single word nor gave heed to the voice of people of Manipur. The silence of the government of India has made them feel sad, she added.
“The stoic silence by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah provoked us to feel that we are not a citizens of India. The central leaders should listen to our voice if we are citizens of India. Now, our sense of nationality is in a state of confusion,” she said, adding that the prime minister and home minister should stop watching the present unrest of Manipur like a drama.
She said a mass protest will be held on July 19 which will be joined by people of all communities viz. Naga, Meitei Muslim, except Kuki.
She said that the plantation of poppy in the state destroyed forests and spoiled the life of many youths of Manipur. And now, the state is again facing conflict allegedly initiated by armed Kuki militants, she said, adding that many youths are losing lives in the conflict and drugs have reached an intolerable limit.
She also condemned the state MLAs for not revealing their concrete stand on stopping the conflict.
On the other hand, women vendor organisation, Lukmai Sellup also demanded central forces to perform their duties without any bias. The protester also highlighted how poppy cultivation has affected the society and environment.
During the protest, the protesters held placards that read, ‘Enforce state forces in Moreh’, ‘Open relief camp for Meitei at Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh’, ‘Arrange resettlement of Meitei at Churachandpur, Kangpokpi and Moreh’, among others.
