Tadubi rally demands removal of State forces
Source: The Sangai Express
Tadubi, May 24 2010:
Protesting against the May 6 Mao gate incident in which two students were shot dead in police firing and demanding withdrawal of State forces including IRB from Mao, a mass rally was taken out in Tadubi area while a large number of womenfolks staged a sit-in protest at Mao Gate today.
Organised under the aegis of Mao Council, the mass rally was flagged off from Tadubi ground.
After passing through Tadubi Bazar and its surrounding areas, the rallyists converged at Tadubi ground again.
During the mass rally participated, mostly by men, the protestors carried placards inscribed with slogans like 'We want peace', 'We support Muivah to visit homeland', 'Down with Ibobi', 'Peace not War', 'Let us be good neighbours', 'Go back Manipur forces from Nagalim', 'Do not murder democracy', 'Meitei cannot decide Nagas' destiny', 'We want self-governance', etc.
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At the end of the rally, the protestors enacted an age-old customs of the Mao Nagas and speared the effigy of Chief Minister O Ibobi turning it into some sort of a target practise.
Talking to mediapersons in this regard, spokesperson of Mao Council, S Loli Mao explained that it is a ritual performed to drive away the evil force or a person who poses threat to the communal harmony.
This ritual is known as Rodzii Kaphi among Mao Nagas and is normally performed once in a year, he added.
Stating that the decision of the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh-led Government to prevent Muivah from visiting his native village is against the wishes of the Nagas, Loli alleged that Ibobi has committed crimes against the Nagas and he is responsible for the killing of two innocent students.
Contending that Meiteis and Nagas have their own separate identities since time immemorial, Loli said that Nagas would not compromise even an inch of land.
Alleging that Ibobi has been suppressing the Nagas, Loli said that deployment of large number of security forces at Mao area has defeated the very purpose of democracy and denied the rights of the people.
He also demanded that State forces including IRB being deployed in Mao area be withdrawn at once, without further delay.
On the other hand, talking to mediapersons after the sit-in-protest staged by a large number of womenfolk at Mao, spokesperson of Mao Women's Society Lolia Lucy said people of Mao area want peace and so the State forces presently deployed are not needed and should be withdrawn.
''We are very afraid ( of the State forces).
We want freedom.
We have enough security of our own'', she said, adding that the ongoing agitation would continue until withdrawal of the State forces from Mao.
''Out time will come and we are waiting for that to give a fitting reply through proper channel', she added.