Sit-ins staged against security forces' crackdown on village volunteers
Source: The Sangai Express

Bishnupur/Thoubal, February 22 2025: Womenfolk in several districts today held mass protests against arrests and detention of village volunteers by security forces.

In Thoubal, mass sit-in protest was held at Babu Bazar, organised by Meitei Community Joint Coordinating Committee, a conglomerate of 18 clubs of Waithou, Kiyam, Kiyam Siphai, Haokha and Thoubal Khunou.

During the protest demonstration the womenfolk raised slogans and held placards against arrests of village volunteers and called for withdrawal of the President's Rule.

The womenfolk asserted that the security forces must stop arresting village volunteers immediately.

"The Governor has made an appeal for surrendering weapons within 7 days, but he must first understand why village volunteers had to arm themselves in the first place.

When the Governor or the Centre ends the conflict, we mothers will gather the weapons ourselves and hand them over to the authorities," said a woman protester.

When villages were attacked, and men, women and children were shot and killed, there were no security forces to stop the Kuki militants.

The youths of the villages had no choice but to take up arms and face the attackers, said the protesters.

"The village volunteers can't be treated as anti-India.

They had volunteered for the safety and security of the villages and the people.

They must be given amnesty.

They must not surrender weapons before the conflict ends," they added.

When the Centre is able to disarm Kuki militants, village volunteers may surrender their weapons, they asserted.

The womenfolk also demanded the Centre to lift President's Rule from Manipur and form a new and stable Government.

In Bishnupur district, womenfolk staged similar protest demonstrations at Ningthoukhong Bazar and Moirangkhunou.

All shops in Ningthoukhong Bazar market remained shut.

During the protest demonstration organised by Ningthoukhong Apunba Women Wing, the protesters demanded immediate release of all arrested village volunteers without any conditions attached.

The protesters urged the Centre to lift President's Rule and form a new Government at the earliest.

Ningthoukhong Apunba Women Wing said it is submitting a memorandum to the Governor soon.

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