Imphal: Transgender activist Malem Thongam, who began a fast-unto-death agitation in New Delhi and continued it in Imphal, was arrested on Saturday night, the 10th day of the protest, Manipur police said on Sunday.
The activist was produced before the Imphal Magistrate Court at Lamphel on Saturday, which remanded him to three-day judicial custody.
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Thongam was charged with attempting suicide and promoting enmity between different communities.
Thongam is currently hospitalized at JNIMS Imphal due to deteriorating health.
Thongam’s demands included the swift restoration of peace in Manipur, urging the Prime Minister to visit the state to assess the situation arising from the ongoing violence between two communities that began on May 3, 2023.
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Additionally, Thongam demanded the central government revoke the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement signed between the Union government and Kuki militant groups.
After garnering national media attention with a hunger strike in New Delhi, Thongam, a young transgender activist from Manipur, returned to Imphal from the national capital on a flight and resumed their agitation at Khurai YOSC Club in Imphal East on February 22, 2024.
The fast-unto-death began on February 21 at the Delhi University gate.
Santa Khurai, another transgender activist in the state, condemned the lack of support from civil society organizations and called for mass solidarity with Thongam’s demand for peace in Manipur.