IMPHAL: Women in Imphal, Manipur, held a protest rally on Sunday, criticizing the BJP-led central government.
The ongoing crisis in the state has persisted for over a year with no resolution in sight. The protesters marched with fire torches, demanding immediate government action to stop the violence.
Earlier in the day, Seram Rojesh, the convener of the Delhi Meitei Coordinating Committee, condemned the increasing violence and called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Manipur and take action.
Following recent casualties, Chief Minister N Biren Singh provided an ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakh to the family of Ngangbam Surbala Devi, who was killed in Koutruk. Singh conveyed his condolences on social media, acknowledging that no financial assistance can truly compensate for a lost life but emphasized the government's responsibility to support the affected families during these difficult times.
In the wake of new violence, Chief Minister N Biren Singh, along with 18 MLAs, including important ministers, met with Governor L Acharya on Sunday to discuss the situation.
The meeting took place after Kuki militants reportedly fired long-range rockets into civilian areas, resulting in the death of a 78-year-old man, RK Rabei, and injuring six others in Bishnupur, according to Manipur Police.
In response, the district magistrate has put restrictions in place, banning gatherings of more than five people and the carrying of weapons in the affected areas.
A Raj Bhavan official said that the Chief Minister submitted a 'memorandum' to the Governor but neither the official nor Singh disclosed anything about the content of the memorandum. However, a highly placed source close to the Chief Minister's Office said that Singh in the memorandum proposed some steps to deal with the ongoing ethnic hostilities in the state.
Amid the rising violence, influential BJP MLA Rajkumar Imo Singh, who is the son-in-law of Chief Minister Biren Singh, last week requested Union Home Minister Amit Shah to withdraw 60,000 central forces from the state claiming "they are not yielding peace".
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