Manipuri women lead protests against militancy

Women in Manipur are leading protests against militancy in the State.

By Sanjay Kumar

Imphal, Dec 9 : Women in Manipur are leading protests against militancy in the State.

While people live amidst the gun-culture propagated by the myriad underground groups operating in the garb of people's representatives, women have picked up the cudgels to fight the menace.

Infuriated people of Singjamei area, where several lives were lost in a recent bomb blast in the crowded Paona bazaar area, blocked the National Highway 39 to vent their anger and frustration.

Leading the protest were the women of the area.

Hemsing was one of the victims of the blast. His wife Nandini Devi, who is in her 20s, is trying to pick up the pieces of her life after the tragedy struck her family.

Devi now considers the rebels as "ruthless people, who do not value human lives."

"How can they barter people's lives for money?" she asks.

Devi, not sure of her future, asks: "How will I sustain myself? Why don't underground groups and militants value human lives?"

Indurekha Devi, Hemsings' mother, said: "My son was a very simple man, who has no enemies and was loved by all. I would appeal to those groups who are responsible for the killing to clarify on this. If they go on killing innocent people will they be able to achieve their goal?"Militancy is destroying innocent lives and ruining the economy of Manipur. People feel that the State government should take some additional measures to root out the nefarious elements.

K Memi Devi, a resident, said: "The actions of the militant outfits are not at all viewed favourably by the people. Planting bombs in crowded areas and shooting down unarmed people are barbaric and uncivilised acts. We just don't want such incidents to recur."

Ibetombi Devi, another resident, said: "These militants are not human beings; I would rather call them as beasts with human bodies."

At a time when Manipur is trying hard to attract investment from foreign countries and boost the State's economy, extortion and mindless killings are becoming a major obstacle.

People of Manipur want peace and are willing to support the government's efforts to achieve that goal.

ANI