Imphal, Oct 12: Supporters of United Committee Manipur (UCM) today violated indefinite curfew by organising sit-in protests in Manipur as three women were injured when police burst tear gas shells to disperse them. Official sources said several UCM volunteers organised public protests at curfew-bound Malom, Sagolband, Langthabal, Mongsangei, Kongba and other places to press their demand for a clarification on the protection of sensitive boundaries issue. Mass sit-in protests were also organised at several places in interior districts.
The police forces, however, dispersed the gathering at these places and picked up some persons for violating curfew orders, the sources said.
Effigies of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani and copies of the ground rules framed under ceasefire agreement between Centre and NSCN(IM) were set afire at Tera, Wangkhei and Thangmeiband, the sources said. Volunteers of the All Manipur Students Union (AMSU), a constituent unit of the UCM, also set afire copies of the ground rules of the ceasefire agreement at its headquarters at D M College campus at Thangmeiband here, reports said.
AMSU advisor Chingangbam Chidananda said that copies of the ground rules had been set afire because both NSCN (IM) and the Centre had not observed them.
Under the rules, the NSCN (IM) could not move to other places where ceasefire was not in force and asked not to extort money from public, Chidananda said adding that NSCN (IM) had been extorting and looting people travelling along national highways in Manipur. The Centre had also failed to check illegal activities of the Naga outfit in Manipur, the student advisor added. Bureau Report