Protests in Manipur against police autocracies and demand for Inner Line Permit continued on Saturday. Defying the curfew clamped in Greater Imphal area, agitators on Saturday came out to the streets to join rallies organized by supporters of the Joint committee on Inner Line Permit (ILP) System.
The police resorted to fire tear gas shells at several places in Imphal West and Imphal East districts to disperse the unruly agitators. In one of the incidents, a tear gas shell hit one of the protestors which resulted in the death of the student.
The agitators pelted stones and slingshots, in which several policemen were injured, the officials said. In retaliation, many protesters were also injured.
Meanwhile, students of Manipur University staged a sit-in protest at the main gate of the Manipur University demanding implementation of ILP System in the state.
“The situation is still tense but totally under control. We are able to maintain law and order situation but curfew is still clamped,” Manipur special director general of police Santosh Macherla told the media.
“Protests are still continuing in some parts of Imphal. As long as they are protesting peacefully, we are not disturbing them but we have acted against them in certain areas as they turned violent”, Macherla said.
Normal life has come to a standstill and operations at various hospitals have been cancelled. Emergency services have also been affected as ambulances were not able to traverse since the protesters under the banner of Joint Committee of Inner Line Permit (JCILPS) have blocked the roads with burning tyres and wooden planks fitted with nails.
JCILPS had launched a stir demanding the implementation of the British-era Inner Line Permit (ILP) system to regulate entry of outsiders into the state.
Inner Line Permit is an official travel document issued by the central government to allow inward travel of an Indian citizen into a protected/restricted area for a limited period. It is obligatory for Indian citizens, not residents of those states, to obtain a permit for entering the restricted areas.
