In the wake of increasing gun culture and threats to civilians in the valley region of Manipur amid the escalating tensions due to the ongoing Kuki aggression, condemnation and protest have sparked among the women-led CSOs.
Spearheaded by the Nongchup Imphal Palem Ima Apunba Lup (NIMPAL), a sit-in protest was organised at Keishampat in Imphal on Monday in response to the recent arson attacks on various CSO offices and the targeting of CSO leaders’ residences by armed miscreants on the intervening night of February 23 and 24.
Addressing the media during the protest, general secretary of NIMPAL Shanti Leima, expressed concerns over the brazen actions of armed miscreants who roam freely while security forces are deployed in every nook and corner of Manipur.
Emphasising the plight of the people of Manipur who are enduring hardship and those spending sleepless nights in peripheral areas due to the Kuki aggression, she lamented the emergence of a gun culture, which has instilled additional fear among the public.
Questioning the government’s claims of progress towards peace, Shanti lamented, “How can there be peace when armed miscreants are roaming freely in the streets.”
She called upon the legislators of Manipur to take decisive measures during the ongoing Assembly session to tackle the issue of increasing gun culture and the Kuki’s aggression to restore stability in the region.
Joining the protest, S (o) Samolata, the wife of NESO advisor S Prakash, whose house was among those attacked, shared her harrowing experience.
Samolata recounted how a group of armed miscreants ransacked their home in Keishampat, vandalising property and looting valuables without explanation. With only her two daughters, one in X standard and the other just one year old, present during the attack, Samolata expressed concern for their well-being and appealed to the government to prevent such incidents from recurring.
She urged the perpetrators to clarify the motive behind the attack and emphasised the need for security measures to safeguard the residents of Manipur so that no households in Manipur become another victim.
Protestors brandished placards bearing messages such as, “We want Peace;” “ We want Justice;” “Justice Delay is Justice Denied;” and “Stop Terrorising People,” among others.
