Relief, heartache mark curfew relaxation
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, February 21 2009: Wareda ! Curfew Ashi Loishilla-ningleda (Woe is brimful, wish the curfew is lifted) .

These are the soulful words that Ibechaobi, who missed the bus following re-imposition of curfew, uttered.

She was returning from selling fishes in the Khwairamband Market when the curfew was reimposed after being lifted from 1 pm to 3 pm today.

After the 48 hours State wide bandh and general strike called by various organisations including the JAC Against the Brutal Killing of Dr Th Kishan Singh, Y Token Singh and A Rajen Sharma in protest against the killing, from 6 pm of February 17 to 6 pm of February 19, imposition of indefinite curfew by the district administration of Imphal East and West with effect from 5 pm of February 19 has caused untold miseries to many daily wage earners like Ibechaobi.

Caption

A resident of Mayang Imphal in Imphal West district, Ibechaobi came to the Khwairamband Bazar to sell fishes on hearing the news of lifting the curfew from 1 pm to 3 pm today.

However, at around 3.30 pm, Ibechaobi and two other women fish sellers namely Chaobisana and Sana were observed walking along the road of Wahengbam leikai as they missed the bus for returning home following reimposition of curfew.

Two more women from Nambol selling Ngakra and Ukabi were also found walking down along the road of Keishampat carrying loads on their heads after missing the buses.

Talking to The Sangai Express, Ibechaobi said when the cost of 1 kg of rice has reached Rs 22, inability to come to the market and sell fishes has forced her to borrow rice from the neighbour to feed her family.

"We thought that even if there is restriction in attending to Khwairamband Bazar for the last four days, we would go to Thoubal Bazar for selling the fishes.

So we came with 20 kgs of fishes each taken from fish farms on credit.

While preparing to proceed to Thoubal Bazar, we heard the radio news of lifting the curfew and thus headed for Khwairamband Bazar', Ibechaobi said summing up the predicament of her two friends as well.

She further said that 'we are also very sad about the incident of killing three of our sons, but we wished the curfew is over'.

For the first time after imposition of indefinite curfew by the district administration of Imphal East and Imphal West since 5 pm of February 19, curfew was lifted for few hours from 1 pm to 3 pm today.

Soon after lifting of the curfew, many people rushed to the market to buy vegetable, rice and other essential commodities.

Many women traders also arrived at the market bringing vegetables, fishes, fruits, etc just to earn a little income for a family.

Hectic activities could been seen with people indulging in panic buying and the women traders trying to sell their goods before reimposition of curfew.

Long line of vehicle owners was also seen at the oil pumps of Imphal area to fill fuel during lifting of the curfew.