Imphal, January 19: To protest rising crime against young innocent children, people of Manipur living in both the hill and valley districts would join hands and stage mass rallies from Mao in Senapati district to Imphal from January 22 to 23.The protest march is being planned in the backdrop of kidnapping of Moheni Martin and Hrinii Hubert by unidentified persons from Senapati district on December 14 and failure of the State Government to trace killers of Ichal of Andro Awang Leikai.

The protest march is to be jointly organised by MAPI Council, Core Committee of the Naga People's Organisation, United NGOs Mission, Senapati and the Andro JAC formed in connection with the brutal killing of Ichal.

Announcing this during a press conference at BOAT today, convenor of United NGO Mission Peter exhorted the people of Manipur to stand unitedly against violation of rights of the children and appealed to all the people to extend their co-operation and participate in the proposed march.

People of Manipur should also take a resolute stand for ensuring a safe and secure environment for the children in the society, he said.

General secretary of Mapi Council N Bimola said people of Manipur strongly resent failure of the State Government and its machineries to trace whereabouts of the two kidnapped children and arrest the kidnappers as well as to do justice in connection with the killing of Ichal.

Despite having organised various Wakat Meephams and protest rally demanding arrest of the kidnappers/killers, the Government has done nothing.

Rather it has been paying attention to campaigning for the upcoming election.

This is really condemnable, she said, adding decision to take out the mass protest rally has been taken in protest against such indifferent attitude of the Government.

On the proposed protest march, Bimola informed that all those who would be participating in the march would congregate at the office of the Mapi Council at Palace Compound at around 7 am on January 22 and proceed to the branch office of Mapi Council at Mao.

At Mao a public meeting would be convened in the afternoon after which the protest march would commence till Tadubi.

At Tadubi, a public meeting would also be held.

From Tadubi, the participants would proceed to Maram on vehicles and a public meeting would also be held there along with the student bodies of the area.

After coming from Maram to Senapati, another public meeting would also be organised.

The rallyists would halt the night at Senapati and start for Kangpokpi in the next morning.

When the protest march arrived at Motbung on January 23, another public meeting would be held before coming to Imphal, she detailed.

The protest march would concluded at Iboyaima Shanglen at Palace compound where a public meeting would be held.

The resolutions taken during the meeting would be forwarded to the Government in the form of a memorandum, Bimola said.

General secretary in-charge of Core Committee of Naga People's Organisation Simolchang informed that various social organisations and student bodies of Senapati district have been searching for the two kidnapped children at various places since the day of their kidnapping.

But so far the whereabouts of the two missing children has not been known.

So Simolchang appealed to all the people of Senapati district to extend their support and participate in the protest march as sign of showing solidarity to the cause of the children to live in dignity and fearlessly in Manipuri society.

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