Artists from various arts forms numbering in hundreds under the banner of Coordinating Committee on Cultural Fraternity gathered at Iboyaima Shumang Leela Shanglen in Imphal East on Saturday and staged a sit-in protest demanding a peaceful and an amicable solution to restore normalcy in Manipur.
WATCH: Artistes demand to restore normalcy in Manipur | Imphal Free Press
As the situation in Manipur deteriorates, the arts and culture community urged the central government to take swift and decisive action to address the crisis.
The protesting artists expressed their discontent with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's silence in the face of the hardships and unrest faced by the citizens of Manipur, which have resulted in casualties and displacements.
During the protest, the committee under the leadership of its chairman Koijam Radhakumar resolved to submit a representation to the President of India seeking her kind intervention for restoration of peace and normalcy at the earliest.
Renowned theatre personality Ratan Thiyam, who participated in the protest, blamed the Indian government for the ongoing crisis alleging that they have done nothing so far to resolve the issue.
He also criticised their lack of action and labelled the recent visit by Union Home Minister Amit Shah as insufficient. "We don't need food packages, we need human peace packages," he added.
He went on to assert that despite the gravity of the situation, Prime Minister Modi's silence was deemed inexplicable and it has left the people of Manipur questioning the government's political motives.
"Such an attitude of the central government seems that the people of Manipur are not even being treated as second-class citizens but as third-class citizens," said Ratan.
Further expressing concerns over the lack of rehabilitation efforts, fearing the dire consequences if the situation continues to spiral out of control, he made a heartfelt plea to the Prime Minister, the President, and all politicians and union cabinet ministers to understand the present situation and work towards a resolution.
Placards which highlighted strong messages such as "Give beautiful Manipur for our children"; "Give up petty politics, love the motherland" and "Honour the value of every human being" among others were used during the protest.
