Imphal, Oct 13: The indefinite curfew reimposed in Imphal and greater Imphal areas of Manipur Sunday, was today relaxed for 11 hours from 6 am amidst criticism by several organisations that the government was supressing their democratic movement. The curfew would be in force again from 5 pm to 6 am tomorrow in the areas till further orders, official sources said today.

The curfew was reimposed yesterday in view of the apex body united committee Manipur's call for a mass sit-in demanding government clarification in the controversial issue of the state boundaries. Official sources said the current agitation in Manipur had been sparked off by the unconditional release of the 13 NSCN(IM) members a day after their arrest in Senapati district a week ago and Centre's emissary K Padmanabhaih's reported suggestion during peacetalks with the Naga group to set up a boundary committee to include Ukhrul and Senapati districts of Manipur and Tirap district of Arunachal Pradesh in Nagaland.

Peoples Students Front (PSF) demanded the resignation of the Okram Ibobi Singh-headed Secular Progressive Front (SPF) ministry saying the government had acted against the peoples' wish by unconditionally the NSCN(IM) militants "who wanted to break up Manipur." PSF president L Roshan in a statement blamed the government for "preventing democratic protests in the Valley for protection of territories" while letting the NSCN(IM) supporters organise meetings in the hills on division of the state.

Bureau Report