10 hurt in anti-CAB rally, chaos rule Khwairamband Keithel
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 15 2019: At least 10 persons sustained injuries as a large number of people including students of CC Higher Secondary School took out a protest rally towards Raj Bhavan this afternoon demanding withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) 2016 .

On the other hand, a tense standoff ensued between police on one side and students and women vendors in the course of a protest rally against CAB 2016 at Khwairamband Keithel today.

The tense standoff ultimately landed the whole Khwairamband Keithel in turmoil.

A protest rally organised by the Manipur Muslim Welfare Organisation (MMWO) and Manipur Muslim Development Committee (MMDC) was flagged off from Minuthong Hatta at around 1.30 pm demanding immediate withdrawal of CAB 2016.As the protesters who shouted slogans and carried placards denouncing the CAB 2016 reached the gate of CC Higher Secondary School through New Checkon, a large of group of students joined the rally.

From there, the protesters marched towards the Raj Bhavan but they were blocked by police near the Veterinary office.

After a brief confrontation with police, the protesters squatted on the road thereby blocking one half of it.

After a gap of around 30 minutes, the protesters tried to breach the police barricade again but police responded by firing several rounds of tear gas shells and smoke bombs.

At least 10 protesters including women were injured as police fired tear gas shells and smoke bombs and police took one of the injured protesters to Advance Hospital.

Meanwhile, a large number of students and women vendors of Khwairamband Keithel took out a protest rally at Khwairamband at around 11 am today.

As the protesters reached Shamumakhong, they were blocked by police but under a mutual agreement, the rally was allowed to proceed till Johnstone Higher Secondary School.

The protesters shouted slogans like "Down with BJP Government", "Long live Manipur", "We oppose CAB 2016" etc.

They were blocked again by police in front of Johnstone Higher Secondary School resulting in a tense stand off between the two sides.

While police resorted to firing tear gas shells, the protesters retaliated by pelting stones.

After chasing the protesters around, police managed to nab one student protester but it only aggravated the situation as a large number of women vendors raised an uproar against the arrest.

Subsequently, the student was released.

As police chased the protesters around Khwairamband Keithel, women vendors raised an uproar creating a chaotic situation.

Vehicles stopped movement on the roads, shopkeepers pulled down shutters and people gathered at the markets ran away helter-skelter.

Markets and shops remained shut till 2 pm.

On the other hand, a sit-in-protest was held today Pureilomba Ima Keithel under the aegis of the Committee of Civil Societies Kangleipak (CCSK) against CAB 2016.The protest demonstration was participated by local clubs, Meira Paibis and vendors of Pureilomba Keithel.

They put up placards which read as "We oppose CAB 2016", "All the four MPs (two from RS) from Manipur must resign", "GoI has been discriminating the North East people" etc.

CCSK president Jitendra Ningomba and other CSO leaders spoke on the devastating impacts the Bill will bring about in the entire North East region.

Chanting many slogans, the protesters later burnt copies of the CAB 2016 .

Comment