Thousands of women activists and vendors staged a sit-in at several places in and around Imphal on Sunday demanding reintroduction of the Inner Line Permit (ILP) in Manipur.
It was lifted on November 18, 1950. The ILP is in force in Nagaland, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh.
Women vendors kept off markets and housewives abandoned their household chores to participate in the protests. Police did not intervene.
Women activists assembled in large numbers from Khwairamband market complex, Uripok,Tera, Khurai, Lilong, Sega Road, Takhel Leikai.
Torchlight processionThey took out a torchlight procession late in the night.
They displayed placards with slogans demanding the reintroduction of the ILP to protect the indigenous people.
They took umbrage at the merciless and inhuman beating of students who were demanding ILP in Manipur.
Photographs showed police kicking the cowering students. They are also demanding unconditional release of the arrested students and action against policemen.
HomagePeople from many walks of life paid homage to the 18 men and a woman who were killed during the June 18, 2001 agitation demanding the protection of the territory of Manipur.
On June 14 that year, ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (Isak-Muivah) was extended “without territorial limits”. People protested against it.
Akom Lup, a social organisation, organised the memorial service at J.N.Dance Academy in Imphal on Sunday.
Those present observed two minutes' silence for the dead.
