Meitei-Kuki women stage protests separately demanding steps to establish peace in Manipur

Women belonging to Meitei and Kukis on Friday staged protests separately demanding steps to end the violence in Manipur, which has continued for nearly three months.

Hundreds of Meitei women shouted slogans and tried to storm into the Raj Bhavan in Imphal alleging that the steps taken so far by the Centre and the state government were not enough to establish peace and give justice to the victims.

In a memorandum submitted to Governor Anusuiya Uikey, the protesters demanded that a special session of the Assembly be convened immediately to discuss the issues and the way forward to restore peace. They also appealed to the armed groups to stop attacking the common people and urged the government to deploy sufficient security forces for free movement on the two National Highways that connect Manipur with the rest of the country. They further demanded that the government should construct houses for the displaced persons in their original places.

Also Read: Will assess ground situation to make recommendations to govt, Parliament: Oppn leaders ahead of INDIA bloc's Manipur visit

Sources said the Governor assured that a special session of the Manipur Assembly would soon be convened to discuss the issues concerning the ongoing violence. Representatives of several Opposition political parties on Thursday met the Governor with the same appeal.

Meanwhile, some traders in Imphal also staged a demonstration seeking steps to control the violence. The Meitei traders demanded that action should be initiated against the Kuki insurgents involved in drug trade and "narco-terrorism."

Some organisations representing the Kukis also staged protests in some places in the Kuki-dominated hills district demanding action against the Meitei armed groups still attacking the Kukis and harassing the women. Several Kuki organisations also staged a protest in New Delhi on Friday with a demand for establishing peace and "exemplary punishment" for those involved in sexual crimes during the ongoing violence.

More than 140 people, belonging to both the Kuki and Meiteis, have been killed and over 60,000 others have been left displaced due to the clashes between the two communities since May 3.