Imphal: Thousands of women including film personalities on Saturday staged a sit-in protest across the valley districts of Manipur after a legal notice served to actor-turned politician Thounaojam Maheshwar by Assam Rifles.
The women protesters holding play cards and banners raised slogan against the Assam Rifles for serving legal notice to Thounaojam Maheshwar.
The ethnic-violence between majority Meiteis and Kukis since May 3, 2023 in Manipur has created chaos among the peoples in the state.
“We have organised a sit-in protest against the legal notice served to Thounaojam Maheshwar by Assam Rifles. We demand for the withdrawal of the legal notice served against Thounaojam. We are not liking the behaviour of Assam Rifles who are partial and not looking the things in broadly. They should look the matters into the both sides,” said a women protester.
She further added, “We want peace in Manipur. The government should bring peace in the state because the people of Manipur are suffering due to the violence,”.
The women protestors alleged that the Assam Rifles, despite having ample evidence of its support by providing logistics and arms and ammunition to Kuki militants, who are fighting against the very idea of a Manipur, are still denying its involvement, which is very despicable.
“There was nothing wrong with what Maheshwar has said. If the Assam Rifles disagreed what he said should come up with proof and evidence that they never supported the Kuki militants who are continuously aiming their guns and killing innocent civilians, including farmers in their own villages and paddy fields,” they said.
“The legal notice slapped on the former actor was to cover up its (Assam Rifles) own misdemeanor, and we believe the notice itself is against the entire community. We will defend not only Mahesh, but also the motherland which we so much adore,” the womenfolk added.
Expressing serious concerns over the continued violence in Manipur, popular actor film actor Gurumayum Bonny Sharma said that the entire state is standing with Maheshwar who is also the national secretary of the Republican Party of India (RPI-Athawale).