Protests Rock Manipur as Police Fire Tear Gas Repeatedly
Thousands of people staged coordinated “sound protests” and demonstrations across five valley districts of India’s Manipur state on Friday, demanding a return to normalcy. The protest intensified in front of the historic Kangla Fort in Imphal on Friday evening (October 23), prompting police to fire tear gas shells repeatedly to bring the situation under control. No casualties were reported.
The unusual half-hour protest was organised at the call of the civil society organisation Federation of Haomee from 7:30pm to 8:00pm on Friday. Following the traditional practice of Kangla, local residents demonstrated by banging pots, pans and plates, striking electric poles with hammers, beating drums, sounding vehicle horns and sirens, and chanting slogans against the government.
Residents of Singjamei, the constituency of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, also participated spontaneously in the programme. Locals and protesters joined a march towards Kangla Fort, Manipur’s historic political and cultural centre, located close to Lok Bhavan and the Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Security forces stopped the demonstrators at Palace Compound, Moirangkhom and the Kisampat junction. However, hundreds of protesters managed to reach the fort’s gates but were not allowed to enter.
The protesters strongly demanded the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC), the identification of illegal immigrants and the cancellation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreements signed with armed groups.
Source: The Times of India
