Students teargassed as cops foil IDP rally seeking resettlement
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, August 01 2024: Under the aegis of Committee on Protection of Meetei Victims, Moreh; internally displaced persons (IDPs) from border town Moreh staying in different relief camps in Imphal launched protests on Thursday, demanding to return to their respective homes under the slogan, "Eikhoi Yumda Hanjilhanbiyu (Allow us to return home)".

The proposed rally turned into a tense stand-off between the participants and the police after large number of residents of the Ideal Girls' College, Akampat, Imphal East district relief camp insisted on marching till the Manipur Legislative Assembly but were intercepted by police.

Amid the tension some among the IDPs turned aggressive and pelted stone at the police forcing the latter to unleash tear gas shells to control the situation and herd back the protestors.

With the confrontation taking place close to a school, many students lost consciousness due to inhalation of tear gas fumes and had to be taken to hospitals for treatment.

Amid the chaos, a journalist covering the incident at Singjamei Kongba Road was assaulted and left injured by a sub-inspector of Imphal East district police.

The injured journalist namely Mutum Rameshchandra alias RC Mangang, a reporter of Impact TV, suffered injury on his chin after the SI punched him.

Meanwhile, residents of relief camps set up at Wangjing Ko dompokpu Sports Complex and Urup Higher Secondary School converged at Chingamakhong and attempted to take out a rally till the Assembly.

As the police tried to block the protestors, the latter breached the police barri cade and reached Chingamathak.

However, the police again intercepted the protestors at Singjamei Thokchom Leikai and prevented them from moving forward.

The womenfolk participating in the protests banged utensils and shouted slogans like 'We want to return and live in our own home", "Remove Assam Rifles from Manipur" and "Implement NRC".

The protestors also held placards inscribed with the aforementioned slogans.

After talking with the police, protestors from Akampat also arrived at Thokchom Leikai along with residents from other relief camps.

Later, after reaching an agreement, the protestors continued the rally back to Akampat and concluded the same.

During the rally, students and teachers of S Chaoba Memorial English School (SCM), located nearby the incident site at Singjamei Wangma Kongba Road, were left terrified owing to firing of tear gas shells and pelting of stones.

Both teachers and students were left stuck for a long time.

The sounds of blank firing and tear gas shells traumatised the students with at least five hospitalised due to inhaling of the tear gas fumes.

Of the students affected, a class V girl student from Okram Chuthek had to be taken to Little Clinic hospital but later discharged her health improved and handed over to her family members.

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