Manipur women vendors injured in police action

Imphal, Aug 11: At least two women were injured today when police burst teargas shells to disperse hundreds of women vendors who marched to the Manipur assembly in violation of prohibitory orders to protest against the proposed demolition of a 400-year-old women market.
The women vendors wanted to lodge a strong protest with the legislators against the demolition of the centuries old women market popularly known as 'mothers' market' to construct a multi-storied building. As hundreds of women vendors thronged the entry points to the assembly, police resorted to a mild lathi charge. As the protestors swelled in number, police later burst teargas shells to disperse them, the sources said.
According to first reports, two women sustained minor injures in the teargassing and were rushed to hospital.
Reports said the women vendors later held a meeting at the market complex to discuss their future course of action.

They had been staying inside the market complex for the past few weeks to stall any attempt by the authorities to demolish the complex at night.

The Khwairamband Nupi Keithel Sinpham Amadi Saktam Kanba Lup (association to protect women's market) said it had submitted a memorandum to Congress president Sonia Gandhi to exert pressure on the Congress-led secular progressive front ministry to drop the proposal of the multi-storied building.

Th. Rani Devi, spokesperson of the association today alleged that the Union Urban Development ministry had sanctioned the construction of the multi-storied building on the false information produced by the government.
Bureau Report