AGENCIES
IMPHAL, JULY 12
All the markets in Imphal witnessed hectic activities on Saturday morning as frenzied people rushed to refuel their stocks of essential commodities during the five-hour curfew relaxation.
However, as the buying spree drew to a close, most of them resumed their stir, demanding implementation of Inner Line Permit (ILP) system in Manipur.
After three days of sustained ILP agitation, locals made the most of the five-hour window to pile up vegetables and fishes. The exorbitant rate was no deterrent. All business establishments at Khwairamband Bazaar covering Paona Bazaar, Thangal Bazaar, the one on the BT road and the three women markets suddenly witnessed a howling crowd as the clock struck five.They came crowding in buses, auto-rickshaws and swarmed the grocery shops, pharmacies, fuel outlets and hardware stores in the capital. Some men in uniform were also spotted joining the masses to buy the essentials.
People queued up in front of the ATM booths at the Mahatama Gandhi Avenue near city police station.
Following the killing of a student, Sapam Robinhood, in police action, the district magistrates (Imphal East and Imphal West) clamped indefinite curfew on the two capital districts from Wednesday as a preemptive measure to thwart escalation of violence.
“The prices of vegetables have doubled. We have to buy, no matter how much we have to shell out to fight the hunger pangs,” said Rajen Singh, an Imphal West resident.
“We understand the traders’ difficulties. They had to face all odds to come in the capital from far off places without curfew passes,” he said.
The flurry of activities stopped a few minutes after 10 am as the curfew resumed. Vendors packed their goods and headed home with some amount of satisfaction writ large on their faces, counting their day’s earning. Policemen, many of whom were busy shopping till a few minutes ago, switched to the duty mode asking shoppers and traders to go home.
In an hour, women gathered to stage demonstrations at their respective localities in greater Imphal. Tyres and wooden logs were burnt on the roads. At some places, agitators were engaged in brawls with the police.
The Joint Committee on ILPS (JCILPS) wanted the state to scrap “The Manipur Regulation of Visitors, Tenants and Migrant Workers’ MRVTMW Bill 2015” and introduce a new one which restricts and regulates influx of ‘outsiders’ to the state in the monsoon budget session that ended on Friday.
The CM, while acknowledging the people’s movement, stated that two options — withdrawing the MRVTMW Bill for including extra provisions or drafting a fresh one — are open. He said the government was ready for talks with JCILPS.
The Manipur CM is in Guwahati to join the northeast chief ministers’ meeting on security with Union home minister Rajnath Singh.
