Rallies demand end to economic blockade
Source: The Sangai Express
Itanagar, October 21 2011:
Mass rallies were taken out today at Moirang and Takyel areas calling for an end to the protracted blockade and also to devise effective measures for controlling prices of essential commodities.
The mass rally started from Moirang Lamkhai and marched for about 3 Kms up to the SDO office where they handed over a memorandum for further dispatching it to the Prime Minister.
The rally organised by CPI Bishnupur District Council was led by Kumbi AC MLA N Mangi and former Principal Secretary P Saratchandra, who is preparing to contest the forthcoming elections with CPI support.
The rally carried placards and chanted slogans demanding an end to the economic blockade, deployment of highway protection force, checking gun culture, make the elections free and fair, enactment of a strong Lokpal Bill in the winter session of Parliament, abolition of corruption and bringing down prices of essential commodities to normal rates.
Addressing the gathering at the beginning of the rally, P Saratchandra observed that people's suffering caused by the more than 80 days old blockade has been multiplied by the administrative failure of the Government.
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He called upon the people to launch strong mass movements so as to prevent the corrupted Government from playing with the lives of the people and check disappearance of PDS goods.
N Mangi asserted that a strong Lokpal Bill must be passed in order to check UPA Government Ministers and officials from indulging in corruption and graft practices at the highest level of governance.
The other mass rally started from Takyel Khongbal and marched up to the Imphal West DC office.
As the rallyists crossed Naoremthong, they were blocked by a small team of police but the rallyists which numbered hundreds overcame the police barricade and went ahead.
However, as they approached the DC office complex, they were blocked by a stronger police force.
Later, some representatives of the protesters were allowed to hand over two memorandums to the Imphal West DC for further conveyance to the Prime Minister of India and the Governor of Manipur.
The main points of the memorandums were more or less similar to the demands made by the Moirang rally.