Anti-CAB protest rages on, torch rally lined up
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, January 29 2019:
A protest demonstration cum public was held today at Khwairamband Ima Keithel against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) 2016 under the aegis of the newly constituted Manipur People Against CAB (MANPAC) .
Meanwhile, it has been announced that a torch rally would be taken out on January 30 evening ahead of the 24 hours State-wide general strike which will come into effect from January 30 midnight.
MANPAC was constituted at the public convention held yesterday at Hotel Imphal where representatives of 66 different organisations based in the hills and valley of the State took part.
The protest demonstration cum public meeting held in between the two multi-storeyed market complexes of Khwairamband was attended by hundreds of women vendors.
Even though police took up stringent security measures, all shops and commercial centres pulled down shutters during the protest demonstration cum public meeting.
Speaking to media persons by the sideline of the protest demonstration, MANPAC Core Committee member Sunil Karam said that they have been demanding withdrawal of CAB 2016 which was passed in the Lok Sabha on January 8 and also not to table the contentious Bill in the Rajya Sabha.
The Bill, if passed, will have disastrous impacts on the indigenous peoples of the entire North East region including Manipur.
It is an attempt to exterminate all the indigenous peoples of the North East, Sunil said.
Already the North East has been witnessing demographic imbalance.
Under such circumstances, CAB 2016 and Government of India's intention to transform the North East region as a dumping ground for immigrants are not acceptable under any circumstances, he asserted.
"If the Government of India refuses to change the way it sees and deals with the North East region, there will be strong voices for self-determination of our future", Sunil warned.
Doumang Haokip who represents Kuki Inpi Manipur in the MANPAC Core Committee announced that they have decided to take out a torch rally throughout the State in the evening of January 30 against CAB 2016 .
Saying that the torch rally would be followed by the 24 hours general strike, Doumang appealed to all sections of society to support the general strike.
He further appealed to all the people to stage protest demonstrations against CAB 2016 at their respective localities during the general strike hours.