Imphal, August 27: All Manipur Students' Union (AMSU) has strongly condemned the police action of foiling the 39th Chaklam Khongchat (Hunger Marchers' Day) function today.

Addressing a press conference, AMSU general secretary M Chourjit alleged that a team of police personnel led by the Imphal West SP threatened those who came to offer their floral tributes at the Chinga Macha memorial where the main function of the Hunger Marchers' Day observance is being held every year.

The memorial was constructed at the small hillock in memory of four martyrs, namely Nongmeikapam Pramodini, Waikhom Nilamani, Laishram Chaobhal and Oinam Nabakumar, who sacrificed their lives during the 1965 students' agitation against steep price rise and artificial scarcity of food grains in the State.

Chourjit further said that the observance function was to begin from 9 am at Pishum today, but the police personnel came in full strength and cordoned off the area since early morning.

The police personnel also arrested Kh Romesh, a senior volunteer of AMSU and another person identified as Meiteilon, who came to pay floral offering a,t the memorial.

Afterwards, some police personnel wearing civil dresses pulled down the flag of AMSU hoisted at the memorial site, he alleged.

He further charged that some of the some of the AMSU members were also warned by the police personnel deployed in the area from going towards the road leading to NH-39 while corning out after offering floral tributes.

AMSU president Kshetrimayum Umesh, who also addressed the press conference while condemning action of the Government in using police forces to foil the function said that it does not befit a responsible Government.

He demanded that all the MLAs and Ministers should resign from their respective posts since they have failed to keep their promises of removing Armed Forces Special Powers Act, 1958 from Manipur within the stipulated deadline of August 15.They should not remain under the impression that lifting of the Act partially would exonerate them from their stand of relinquishing their posts, Umesh asserted.

Meanwhile, a large number of students from Bishnupur district who were stopped by the police from coming to Pishum Chinga Macha to take part in the Hunger Marchers' Day function today reportedly offered floral tributes to the photographs of the martyred students at Wangoo Government High School.

Earlier in the day, AMSU observed the 39th anniversary of Hunger Marcher's Day today by offering floral tributes.

The main function, as usual was held at the Pishum Chingamacha memorial site with AMSU president Ksh Umesh hoisting the AMSU flag in the early hours to mark the commencement of the observance.

Besides families of the deceased student leaders, members of the members of the student community and other civilians joined in paying rich tribute to the four martyrs as well as two other student activists - P Lukhoi Singh and H Loken - who expired during the oust foreigner issue.

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