A sit-in-protest staged under the aegis of the Apunba Lup

IMPHAL, Aug 30 : In denunciation of the July 23 BT Road firing, and continuing the demand for the resignation of the Chief Minister, sit-in demons-trations as well as protest rallies were held at Khurai areas today with police personnel bursting tear gas and stun bombs to disperse the agitators.

Rresponding to the call of the Apunba Lup to sustain the public movement against the alleged high-handedness of police commandos, large number of women protestors from Kangla Shangomshang and Kangla Siphai villages in Imphal East district converged at Khurai Popular High School from where the protest rally was to be kicked off.

The women protestors, who had staged sit-in-protest at their respective villages earlier in the day, were on their way towards Khurai Lamlong Keithel when police personnel fired tear gas shells and mock (stun) bombs to disperse them.

Holding placards and banners, reiterating demands for punishment of the police commandos involved in the BT Road firing and resignation of the Chief Minister on moral ground, the protestors also shouted slogans opposing institution of the Judicial Inquiry, end to gun culture and killing of innocent civilians by security personnel.

Effigies of the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and his MLA wife Landhoni Devi were also burnt by the protestors.

As a consequence of the police action, women vendors in Lamlong Keithel ran helter skelter resulting in an elderly woman losing consciousness.

Women activists stand their ground in front of a cop

Condemning the police crackdown on the peaceful form of protest, market vendors questioned the Government’s intention/policy of applying force to subdue the people’s movement.

It is also informed that the protestors had cautioned the police contingent of enforcing bandh in case force was used to disperse them which went unheeded from the side of the security force.

Consequently, traffic along the Tinsid Road was promptly blocked by the protestors.

Protest sessions/rallies were also held at singjamei and Khongjom Bazar areas today.

The Apunba Lup had earlier stated that there would be no let up in the agitation.

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Apunba Lup sets boycott deadline

IMPHAL, Aug 30 : The Working Committee of the Apunba Lup has set September 2 deadline for Congress MLAs as well as MLAs of the SPF’s coalition partner to take a firm decision to topple Chief Minister Okram Ibobi.
In case the MLAs fail to meet the deadline, the Apunba Lup and the people would launch social boycott of the MLAs.
In a statement the Apunba Lup alleged that ever since 2002, when O Ibobi assumed the office of the Chief Minister, many a great number of innocent people have been killed in fake encounters.
In case the Congress MLAs and MLAs of other parties, presently supporting Chief Minister Okram Ibobi, do not withdraw their support and initiate necessary move to topple him by September 2, the MLAs and Ministers would be boycotted.
The Apunba Lup also asked the Ministers and MLAs not to bursh aside the decision taken together with the people, on the issue.
It called upon the people not to take part in any function/programme where MLAs and Ministers supporting Ibobi are present. It also appealed to all organisations, clubs, Meira Paibis, student bodies and private individuals not to invite such MLAs and Ministers to any function/programme. In case these MLAs and Ministers are found in any function organised by clubs, organisations, Meira Paibis, student bodies and private individuals, the Apunba Lup and the people of Manipur would social boycott the organiser(s).
They would be taken as supporters of Ibobi and collaborators of his killing spree, it cautioned.
Alleging that the people of Manipur are suffering unprecedented misery under the rule of Ibobi, the Apunba Lup observed that Ibobi has earned the distinction of being the Chief Minister under whose reign maximum number of people were killed.
The more than 5000 surviving widows and 10,000 fatherless children are living testimony to the exce- sses to which the state has crossed over, it remarked.
The most glaring proof of the state excesses was the fake encounter of July 23 in the heart of Imphal town.
Ibobi’s misleading statement given on the floor of the State Assembly clearly reflected his killing instinct, it alleged.
The Apunba Lup would extend all possible support if the 59 MLAs stand up valiantly against the false statement of Chief Minister Ibobi.
Despite remonstrations by people from different parts of the world and the massive people’s movement for his resignation and punishment of killer commandos together with the police officers who attempted to cover up the fake encounter, Chief Minister Okram is not perturbed at all.
Rather than paying any heed to the people’s voice, Okram Ibobi has been lobbying to consolidate his reign by offering crores of rupees to leaders of the central Government, Congress MLAs, Ministers and MLAs of other party supporting the incumbent Government, the Apunba Lup alleged.
Congress Ministers, MLAs and MLAs of other parties supporting the Government have been main- taining an intriguing silence all these days. By extending continued support, these MLAs/Ministers have handed over the fate of the mass to the incumbent Chief Minister.
Observing that the lives of common people are so insecure at the hands of ‘Ibobi’s security forces’, the Apunba Lup asserted that it’s not the time for the student community to continue their studies overlooking the burning issue.
The usual trend of killing of 4/5 persons every day has been halted in the wake of the massive people’s movement against the Khwairamband killing. This means the people’s movement has at least succeeded in saving the lives of many innocent precious lives, it said.

Source: The Sangai Express

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