Protest staged against removal of police
Source: Chronicle News Service
Imphal, September 27 2023:
Locals of Sabungkhok Khunou and Moirangpurel have denounced the order for withdrawal of state police from the area amidst the on-going conflict situation in the state.
As per a report, additional teams of state police force had been deployed in Sabungkhok Khunou and Moirangpurel in Imphal East district after attacks at the Meetei villages by armed Kukis since May 3 .
Recently, the state government ordered for the removal of the state forces from the area, which is unacceptable to the locals.
As such, the Meira Paibi and local club members staged a protest against the removal of state police from the area.
The protestors even went on to lock the police vehicles and block the police from leaving.
The protest continued late into the night with the Meira Paibis squatting in front of the main gate of the accommodation of the police personnel.
The locals expressed that they do not trust the central forces and requested for the state forces to keep guarding the area, while mentioning a previous incident where central forces stood by and watched as armed Kukis attacked the villages and set some Meetei houses on fire.
The armed Kukis, however, ceased their attacks after the state police were deployed and the villagers have been living in peace till date.
The Meira Paibis also appealed to the authority concerned not to deploy any other force in the area, except for the state forces.