Imphal, July 10 2010: Along with taking into custody four members of All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU), police fired mock bombs to disperse a large number of people who came to get rice from AMSU headquarters located inside DM College campus here today.

Condemning the police action, the student body has made it clear that it would continue with its ongoing drive until the Government ensures adequate supply of foodstuff to the people.

In response to the announcement made by AMSU yesterday for open sale of rice, a large number of people mostly women started trooping towards AMSU headquarters to get rice since 8 am today.

As the number of people who came to get rice was so overwhelming that they were made to stand outside the gate and open sale of the rice started at around 10 am by allowing them in a batch of four to five persons.

Soon after, a police team came and stopped the open sale.

The police also fired mock bombs to disperse the people who were waiting for their turn to get rice.

Infuriated at the police action, they shouted slogans like 'We want rice', 'We are starving', 'Make adequate rice available to the people', 'Don't stop open sale of rice', etc.

On account of over two months of economic blockade imposed along the National Highways 39 and 53 by ANSAM in protest against conduct of election to the Autonomous District Councils in the hills, people in Manipur have been suffering from acute shortage of essential commodities including foodstuff.

Although the economic blockade has been lifted now, the situation has not improved and the people continue to suffer with prices of essential commodities sky-rocketing in the market.

Concerned over the issue, starting from July 7 AMSU volunteers conducted raids in some of the private godowns at Mantripukhri and exposed hoarding of large quantity of foodstuff including rice in these godowns.

As part of the raid, AMSU volunteers seized Superfine rice (125 bags of 50 kg each) and cooking oil (20 cans of 15 kg each and 10 boxes of I litre bottle, each box containing 12 bottles) from a truck coming from Ukhrul and parked in front of main entrance gate 2nd MR yesterday.

With these seizures, AMSU announced that open sale of rice would be done with provision of 10 kgs of rice to a person at Rs 17 per kg.

However, as the number of people coming to get rice today was so huge, it was finally decided that only 5 kgs would be issued to an individual.

Presently, the cost of Superfine rice in the market is Rs 26 per kg.

Before the police arrived to stop the open sale, AMSU had made available around 124 kgs of rice to the public.

Police have also taken into custody four AMSU members namely its president Irengbam Jamesbond, networking and co-ordinating secretary of its Imphal East unit Haobam Joykishan, publicity secretary of AMSU Laikhuram Ranendra and Rokey of its Students' Volunteer Committee.

After the disruption of the open sale, police handed over the seized rice and cooking oil to their respective owners at AMSU headquarters itself.

On the police action against the open sale of rice by AMSU, SDPO of Imphal West explained that AMSU is not the authority and it is illegal on the part of AMSU to sell rice.

Addressing a press conference later during the day, AMSU secretary general Md Alamgir informed that open sale of rice had been conducted following an understanding with the owners of the seized rice.

The rate of selling the rice at Rs 17 per kg was in accordance to the joint decision arrived at between the Bazar Community and AMSU on May 10 last.

Condemning the police action of arresting the four AMSU members, Md Alamgir demanded that all four of them should be released without any condition at once.

Recalling that AMSU has been set up after the public movement against artificial scarcity of rice in Manipur in August, 1965, Md Alamgir said that AMSU cannot remain silent when people of Manipur are facing food shortages.

So until the Government make necessary arrangements to ensure adequate supply of foodstuff and other essential commodities to the people, AMSU would continue with its drive, he asserted.

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