The Indian Tribal
Guwahati/Imphal
Thousands of students on Monday protested in front of the Manipur secretariat and Raj Bhavan demanding action against those behind the recent drone and missile attacks even as their representatives met Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya to submit six demands.
The students took to the streets despite the State government declaring a two-day holiday on September 9 and 10 due to the escalating law and order situation.
Their demands include the removal of the Director General of Police (DGP) and the Security Advisor to the State government for their alleged failure to control the violence. They also called for the Unified Command, currently chaired by former CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh, to be handed back to Singh. The Centre had entrusted the responsibility of the Unified Command to the former top cop after violence continued unabated in the northeastern State.
The Unified Command, a group of 12 top officials from various security agencies, was formed on May 31, 2023, to restore normalcy in Manipur, formulate counter-insurgency strategies, and maintain law and order.
At least eight persons have died and over 12 injured in the fresh wave of violence, which includes drone and missile attacks.
The school and college students calling for the protection of the state’s “territorial and administrative integrity” and expressed their frustration with the authorities over their handling of the situation. The students also met Chief Minister N Biren Singh.
On Sunday, CM Biren Singh had led over 20 MLAs to the Governor demanding that the “Home ministry-run Unified Command” be handed over to the State government.
College student M. Sanathoi Chanu, who met Singh, told reporters, “We want to study freely without disruptions. We urged the CM to end the conflict as soon as possible.”
In Thoubal district, students in uniforms staged a rally demanding guarantee of the State’s territorial and administrative integrity and opposing any form of separate administration while in Kakching district, thousands of locals held a mass rally protesting the recent civilian killings by suspected Kuki militants.
They also called for the abrogation of the Suspension of Operations (SoO) agreement and urged the State government to take a more proactive role in addressing the violence against civilians.
