Imphal, July 17: Prominent senior citizens of Manipur called on the Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh and held wide-ranging discussion on issues besetting the people of Manipur especially on armed force personnel going out of control under the immunity of various draconian laws promulgated in the State.

The senior citizens highlighted the mental and physical toil the State people have had to face due to repeated atrocities committed by the security force personnel under the garb of fighting insurgency movement, conveyed the senior citizens during a press briefing at the Yaiskul residence of noted writer MK Binodini Devi today evening.

Expressing grave concerned at the prevailing law and order situation in the State in the wake of custodial killing of Thangjam Manorama Devi of Bamon Kampu the senior citizens urged the Chief Minister to solve the issue at the earliest instead of rubbing salt to wounds by imposing indefinite curfew.

The meeting at the CM's bungalow lasted about an hour.

After a patient hearing the Chief Minister is reported to have assured the senior delegates to work sincerely in ending the present problem and take all positive measures to prevent recurrence of such problem, they said.

The senior citizens urging the CM against blatant imposition of curfew to contain emotional public uprising also prevailed upon O Ibobi to begin process for Scrapping Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 from the soil of Manipur at the earliest.

The fast unto death launched by Irom Chanu Sharmila on the same issue was also intimated to the Chief Minister in detail.

The senior citizen delegates who met the CM comprised of film-maker A Syam Sharma, Manipur Sahitya Parishad president N Kunjamohon, former secretary of Manipur State Kala Akademi L Damodar, MK Binodini and Poknapham columnist Saratchand Thiyam.

Expressing deep resentment at the demise of Manorama on behalf of the SPF Govt Ibobi reiterated the State Cabinet consent for the proposed peace/silent rally (July 16) against the custodial death.

However, in view of unexpected protest by the Manipuri mothers at the Kangla gate of 17 AR prior to the rally date and in consideration of high possibility of out-break of violence due to mounting tension curfew had to be imposed, justified the CM on clamping of curfew.

The imposition of curfew is not a permanent solution to the present problem, he acknowledged.

On demands for lifting AFSPA he said State Govt is faced in a quagmire of whether the insurgency problem would go out of control if it is lifted or not.

Speaking on the occasion MK Binodini iterated that the womenfolk out of intolerable situation due to repeated abuse of human rights by the armed forces were compelled to protest nude shrugging off all the social inhibitions for the sake of protecting their children.

Asserting that time has come for the Government to take a firm decision to prevent security force from taking law into their own hands, she cautioned the Chief Minister that failure to address the problem at the appropriate juncture would have far reaching consequences as the Manipuri women resorting to launch an uncontrollable agitation in future could not be ruled out.

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