Women vendors of Khwairamband Keithel on Tuesday decided to close the market till Thursday, as a mark of solidarity and sharing the grief of innocent people affected by the ongoing turmoil in Manipur.
Speaking to the media, one woman vendor named Laishram Memma said that many have been killed or injured while some have become refugees in their own state in the wake of the violence. In honour of those youths who have died while fighting against Kuki militants, the women vendors of Khwairamband Keithel have closed shops, she said.
“If the sons of the state can sacrifice their lives to protect Manipur, why can’t the mothers of Manipur close their shops in their honour,” Memma said.
Another woman vendor, Lairentombi, said that three women vendors are not supporting their move and added that those against them will be boycotted from three market sheds of Khwairamband Keithel. They are not leaders of the market and nobody should allow them as leaders of the market, she said.
“Those three women and COCOMI were expelled from the market as they asked who ordered the closing of shops,” she said, adding that no order is required for shutting down their own shops because all the vendors joined together, sharing the grief of the victims of the violence in Manipur.
The three women met Union Home Minister Amit Shah without taking any suggestion or discussion with vendors of Khwairamband Keithel, she said, adding that the three did not inform of what was discussed with the union minister.
