Imphal: Several business communities, assisted by the Meira Paibis (a women’s collective) and local clubs, staged a sit-in protest at Khongjom Bazaar in Thoubal district of Manipur on Tuesday (June 25).

The demonstration was in response to ongoing bomb threats and extortion demands that have plagued the area.

Protesters gathered under a banner that read, “Sit-in protest against unbearable monetary demands from business establishments at Khongjom Bazaar.”

Placards at the site carried messages such as “We want peace”, “Don’t throw us into a state of intense fear or desperation”, “We condemn placing bombs in crowded places”, and “Stop needless monetary demands”.

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Khangenbam Ongbi Sanamacha Devi, a leader of the protest, stated that unknown miscreants placed a powerful bomb at the doorstep of a hardware store in Khongjom Bazaar on Monday (June 24) night.

She explained that the motive behind the bomb threat was to enforce extortion demands, which have become increasingly frequent and intolerable for the local business community.

“We have fulfilled numerous monetary demands from various outfits, but the situation has now become unbearable for the business communities in this bazaar,” Sanamacha Devi said.

The police have registered a case and are investigating the incident.