Three women street vendors were injured as police fired mock bombs to disperse the street vendors who were holding protests at Imphal Municipal Corporation (IMC) and BT Road in Imphal West on Sunday.
Many women street vendors jointly protested against the recent order issued by the district magistrate, restricting their vending hours from 6 am to 12 noon. They demanded withdrawal of the order restricting the vending hours, following which police personnel arrived and fired mock bombs to disperse them. Of the three injured, two have been hospitalised.
The Road Side Vendors Welfare Association, Khwairamband Keithel; Panthoibi Ima Sana Kithel Nupi lup Temporary Market; Young Woman Street vendors welfare Union; Ima Leisana Street Vendors Welfare Union; Minority Muslim Vendors Welfare Union; Schedule Tribe Women's Vendors Welfare Union; Salai Laret Apunba Nupi Samaj Lup jointly resolved to launched various form of agitation against state government until recent IMC order is withdrawn.
The protest erupted when police personnel tried to chase away the street vendors from the Temporary Market shed for crossing the given time limit. Police personnel allegedly threw away belongings of the street vendors. The situation escalated and the street vendors who were vending in and around IMC and BT road started protesting.
To control the situation, police personal dispersed mock bombs, during which three women sustained injuries. Of the total, two have been admitted to RIMS hospital.
Speaking about agitation, Road Side Vendor Welfare Association secretary Tongbram Kiranmala demanded the state government to withdraw the order. Restricting the vending hours gives a huge impact to the poor vendors, she added.
In connection with the order, they had lodged a complaint to the MAHUD minister. But unfortunately, he did not respond properly and his actions have demotivated many street vendors, she added.
She said that police personnel chasing them out of their vending sites on the ground of section 144 implementation has been unfortunate. The state government should consider their problem at earliest, she added.
