Written by: Bit Irom
Imphal: Manipur Police fired tear gas shells on Saturday to disperse hundreds of protesters, mostly Meira Paibis (women vigilantes) affiliated with the Coordinating Committee on Manipur Integrity (COCOMI), who were attempting to march towards the Chief Minister’s office in Imphal.
Police used tear gas at several locations, including Khurai Lamlong, near Moirangkhom, and Kangla western gate, as demonstrators advancing from different routes towards the CM’s office around 2 pm were stopped at strategic points across the city.
Later, representatives of COCOMI, which had organised the protest, were allowed to submit a memorandum to the Chief Minister.
In the memorandum, the organisation urged the state government to press the Centre to halt what it described as a “proxy war,” take decisive action against alleged Kuki narco-terrorism in Manipur, ensure justice for the attack at Tronglaobi and the ambush near TM Kasom, and order a judicial inquiry into the CRPF firing that claimed three lives.
The memorandum also demanded immediate steps for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons and the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement with Kuki militant groups.
Speaking on the sidelines of the rally, COCOMI convenor YK Dhiren said two siblings were killed in a bomb attack at Tronglaobi on April 7, while three others died in alleged indiscriminate firing by CRPF personnel on the same day. He further claimed that two Naga civilians were killed in an ambush near TM Kasom on April 18.
Dhiren alleged that despite widespread public protests, the government had failed to take meaningful action to deliver justice.
Responding to questions on the Chief Minister’s recent invitation for talks, he said COCOMI had received a proposal from the government but had not yet decided whether to accept it.