Imphal, August 19: Determined to keep the ongoing agitation against the Armed Forces Special Powers Act 1958 under control, the State Government has detained as many as 19 agitators under the National Security Act (NSA).

With over 60 persons rounded up during the police crackdown since August 15, including 17 from the office premise of United Committee Manipur yesterday, the Government is also intensely mulling over declaring the 32 bodies spearheading the ongoing agitation as unlawful organizations.

All the arrested persons, also comprising of nine women, were produced before the Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate today who later remanded them to judicial custody till September 2.Those arrested from the UCM office premises have been booked under u/s 121, 121-A, 124-A of the Indian Penal Code and 7 Cril Law Amendment Act by the police with two others arrested from their Khongman zone-III on August 17 also reprimanded on similar charges.

The two arrested by a team of Imphal East district police are identified as S Sanjit and S Basanta.

The nine detained women belong to All Manipur Social Reformation and Development Samaj, All Manipur Tamee-Chingmee Apunba Lup and UCM, according to case dossiers prepared by the police.

Police also charged the 17 detainees as leaders of organization having nexus with underground outfits and holding meetings with various local clubs and organizations intent on inciting the general public to protest, according to the case dossiers prepared by the police.

Meanwhile, two office bearers of Chanura Lamchinglen Kangleipak described as leaders of Apunba Lup's Working Committee have been remanded to judicial custody till September two by the Chief Judicial magistrate Imphal today.

The two are Huirem Leimatombi Devi (32) d/o (L) H Inao of Sekmaijin and Thoudam Tampakleima Chanu alias Ibema (32) d/o Th Ibosana Meitei of Wangoi Thoudam Leikai.

The duo arrested yesterday, have been charged of inciting agitation during the civil disobedience movement as leaders of the 32 organizations.

Though the CJM Court had released them on PR bond of Rs 5000 and same surety amount, both declined to furnish the necessary bond and hence had to be remanded to judicial custody.

In the meantime, taking serious note of the development (arrest), secretary general of UCM Khoirom Gourashyam countered that there is no reason why the Government employees, who took mass casual leave in solidarity to the ongoing movement, should also not face similar charges as levelled against the arrested public leaders.

The Government action of singling out only some persons and detaining them under NSA is highly condemnable as the agitation is a mass upheaval participated by various eminent personalities besides school children, asserted the UCM leader.

Such discriminatory attitude vividly reflects the Government attempt to dissuade people from pursuing complete scrapping of repressive acts from the entire Manipur and would only aggravate the situation as the masses rose up in unison to secure a better life without having to live everyday under the shadow of security force's cruelty.

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