Women shave hair, ring out wake up call
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, May 03 2024: Coinciding with the pre-planned and premeditated offensive launched by armed Kukis against the Meitei community on May 3, 2023, seven Meira Paibi activists from Awang Sekmai today took out a highly symbolic bicycle rally.

Today's bicycle rally was unprecedented in the long history of people's struggle in Manipur in the sense that all the seven Meira Paibi activists tonsured their heads just before taking out the rally all the way to the historic and sacred Kangla Fort.

Forget about shaving their heads, Meitei women seldom cut their hair once they get married.

Women shave hair, ring out wake up call

But the seven women tonsured their heads in solidarity with the suffering people and took out the unprecedented rally sending a loud and inescapable message to all the 'sleeping' leaders and the masses to wake up.

The bicycle rally held under the banner "Seeking protection of indigenous people and territorial integrity of Manipur" was flagged off from Awang Sekmai Koujengleima Ground this morning.

The seven Meira Paibi activists tonsured their heads this morning itself before the rally was flagged off.

The rally was organised by KYDO, Awang Sekmai Koujengleima Mamang Leikai.

On their way to Kangla, people came out in large droves and showed their support to the rally and the underlying wake up call.

At the Kangla gate, they were received by a large number of Meira Paibi activists and members of several organisations.

Then they went inside Kangla and offered prayer.

As they were offering prayers inside Kangla, more and more Meira Paibi activists arrived there from different directions.

As the seven Meira Paibis activists came out after offering prayers at different sacred sites inside Kangla, people gathered at the western gate of Kangla shouted slogans like "All sleeping leaders, wake up ", "Bring an end to the one year old Manipur crisis", "Hail, mother Manipur", "Hail the seven mothers" etc.

Kh Sobita, one among the seven tonsured women, told the media that they tonsured their heads, forgetting all the stigma and shame, and took out the rally to wake up the sleeping leaders and the public and let them focus their undivided attention on the protracted crisis.

"We prayed at Kangla that peace and normalcy be restored in Manipur at the earliest", she said.

"We may even decide to end our lives if the leaders are unable to bring a solution to the crisis", she added.

The seven women who shaved their heads are Ch Sopita Devi, Kh Naobi Devi, M Shanti Devi, M Ibenou Devi, Kh Sobita Devi, Th Nanao Devi, and Kh Premlata Devi.