Imphal, November 15 2008: LIT-CANDLES IN their hands and black cloth pieces strap wrapped around their lower heads covering mouths, women from various affiliations and organisations affected or belonging to families affected by the various inhuman acts including gun culture, killings and bomb blasts in the state held a silent protest at the Manipur Voluntary Health Association conference hall today.

Organised under the aegis of Women for Action and Development (WAD), the silent protest in a signature campaign against the various atrocities meted out on the people by various elements in the state called for an end to such violent acts and urged that peace be restored in the state.

Talking to the media Sobita Mangsatabam, spokesperson of WAD alerted that the number of widows and orphans were increasing tremendously in the state due to the various crimes and atrocities going on in the state.

Lamenting that peace has lost in the state, the secretary conveyed that the agitation was held as a protest against all atrocities and a call to end such inhuman acts in the state.

Instead of blockade on roads and national highways, the blockades should be against inhuman acts, indiscriminate firings and bomb blasts, opined the secretary.

Placards displayed during the silent protest urged the use of words, not weapons; termed killing a senseless act and hail love as the answer; that no religion promotes violence but love; and called for the protection of "our rights".

Attended by women hailing from various professions, the silent protest was sponsored and supported by various NGOs and civil body organisations.

Meanwhile, with the increasing number of monetary demands and threats on the various educational institutions in the state a sit in protest was held at the Keishampat junction in Imphal West on Saturday under the banner of "Make Education Free Zone".

Organised by the co-ordinating committee on education free zone of the Democratic Students' Alliance of Manipur (DESAM), All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), Central Agricultural University (CAU), Information Technology of India (ITI), the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and other private and government schools and colleges, the protest was attended by students from various educational institutions of the state.

The protest was also attended by Additional Directors of Education (U) and (S) and RIMS superintendent Prof..YMohen.

The protestors held banners pleading the armed and revolutionary groups not to turn educational institutions into money sources; education be made a free zone; and the government not to politicised the educational zones.

It is worth mentioning here that DESAM and AMSU had organised a "Free Zone Education" rally in the month of July which was attended by thousands of students and teachers from schools all over the state.

Despite such protests, demands and threats on the various educational institutions seem to be growing by the day.