Over 1,000 women staged a protest in Manipur’s Churachandpur on Monday, demanding the immediate removal of state police forces from Moreh town. The protesters warned of a large-scale agitation across all hill districts if their demand was not met.
The demonstration by the women in Churachandpur came a day after the opposition bloc INDIA expressed concern that the unresolved conflict in Manipur could pose security problems for the entire country on Sunday. “If the conflict in Manipur is not resolved soon, it may create security problems for the entire country,” said Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress leader in Lok Sabha who is a member of the delegation, reported PTI.
A non-BJP coalition, which visited Manipur for two days, criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “silence” and “brazen indifference” towards the ongoing ethnic strife in the state.
The opposition MPs presented a memorandum to Manipur Governor Anusuiya Uikey, demanding urgent rehabilitation and resettlement of the affected people to restore peace and harmony in the state. The ongoing ethnic clashes, which began on May 3 after a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ that was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status has resulted in over 160 fatalities and hundreds of injuries.
Also read: Antenatal care given to 319 women in conflict-hit Manipur, govt tells Lok Sabha
The clashes originated from protests against the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. Meiteis constitute about 53 percent of Manipur’s population and mainly reside in the Imphal Valley, while Nagas and Kukis make up a little over 40 percent and live in the hill districts.
Thousands Kuki-Zo women in Tengnoupal district on July 28 had blocked the road to Moreh, preventing security forces from entering the town. A convoy of ten vehicles of security personnel was obstructed by the women at Tengnoupal. The convoy included Indian Reserve Battalion, Manipur Rifles and commandoes.
(With inputs from PTI)
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Updated: 31 Jul 2023, 02:44 PM IST
