Imphal: Multi-community youths, mostly girls, gathered at Manipur’s Churachandpur Public Ground on Saturday to express support for the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) and activist Sonam Wangchuk.
The protesters held placards before carrying out a poster campaign across the town, pasting posters on public walls and other locations.
The protesters demanded reforms in the education system and the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Referring to the reported suicides of more than 10 NEET aspirants this year, they said financial compensation cannot replace lost lives.
Youths from different communities in the district participated in the protest and displayed placards carrying various messages.
One of the protesters said the group comprised like-minded people from different communities in Churachandpur who had come together to express solidarity with the CJP and Sonam Wangchuk.
“His demand is simple: He is asking Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to resign and is demanding genuine reforms in the education system. As students, we support his demands and this protest,” the protester said.
She added that the group planned to intensify its protests and expand the poster campaign across the district.
Meanwhile, CJP representative Das said the organisation had suspended its agitation in good faith following what he described as positive signals from the Centre.
According to Das, the government had earlier accepted key demands, including a Rs 1 crore compensation package for affected families and legal immunity for demonstrators.
He said the CJP had submitted a written guarantee draft and was awaiting an official response by Tuesday.