Defying curfew, women take to streets demanding action against Kuki militants in Manipur

 IMPHAL: Defying curfew, thousands of women held mass protests in five Manipur districts on Wednesday, demanding action against Kuki militants and the restoration of peace and normalcy in the state at the earliest. The Manipur government on Wednesday did not offer daily curfew relaxation in the five valley districts and deployed a huge contingent of security forces in view of the women's rally, organised by the Kwairamband Ima Keithel Joint Coordinating Committee for Peace (KIKJCCP).

The KIKJCCP appealed to all women to make the 'Mothers’ Protest' rally a roaring success. Though no untoward incident was reported since the beginning of the protests on Wednesday morning in five districts—Imphal East, Imphal West, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching—tension prevailed in these valley districts and adjoining areas.

Raising slogans, the mass protests by women continued until late on Wednesday evening. KIKJCCP’s co-convenor, K. Dhaneshori, urged all mothers in every locality to come out of their homes and raise slogans demanding rejection of a separate administration (equivalent to a separate state) for the tribals and maintaining the territorial integrity of Manipur.

Demanding strict actions against the Kuki militants, KIKJCCP urged the government to withdraw from the Suspension of Operation, signed with the Kuki militants in August 2008, implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and immediately convene an emergency Assembly session to discuss the Manipur turmoil. The protesters alleged that a section of the central forces did not destroy the illegal bunkers of the Kuki militants and were reluctant to take action against the rebels.

Since ethnic violence broke out in Manipur on May 3, women have been organising protest rallies and sit-in demonstrations in various parts of the state almost daily for the past 78 days. However, Wednesday’s mass gatherings were unprecedented and very spirited. (IANS)

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