Imphal: At least twenty people, mostly women, sustained injuries when security forces fired tear gas shells to disperse a large number of people at Phougakchao Ikhai in Manipur’s Bishnupur district on Wednesday.
Thousands of people took to the streets in violation of the indefinite curfew imposed in Manipur’s Bishnupur district.
People coming from different places in the valley district of Manipur stormed the barricaded area of the central forces at Phougakchai Ikhai.
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Rejecting the appeal made by the state government and the imposition of an indefinite curfew, thousands of people violated the curfew on Wednesday.
They broke down the curfew and extended support to the Co-ordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), which stated that they, along with their supporters, tried to knock down the barricade set up by the Army at Phougakchao Ikhai in Bishnupur on Wednesday, September 6.
To disperse the gatherings, the security forces opened tear gas shells, causing injuries to at least 20 people, mostly women. A few women also fainted during the protests. The injured were rushed to the Bishnpur district hospitals.
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The State Government has appealed to COCOMI to withdraw the mass protest.
Manipur IPR Minister Sapam Ranjan said that COCOMI has been planning to stage a protest at Phougakchao Ikhai and Torbung area by breaking into the Army barricades. The state government would like to appeal to COCOMI to withdraw this plan.
The Minister further said that the Government has removed many of the barricades already. Moreover, around 700 displaced people of the Torbung area, who were taking refuge in various relief camps, have started to come back and resettle in their original houses, which had not been damaged, during the past few days.