Curfew relaxation cancelled in 3 Manipur districts after women's protest in Imphal West

Imphal, Sep 14 (IANS) Authorities in Manipur's Imphal East, Imphal West, and Bishnupur on Saturday curtailed the curfew relaxations, apprehending major protests by women in these districts.

Tensions erupted on Saturday afternoon after scores of women gathered outside Singjamei Police station in Imphal West district to protest against the critical injury suffered by a nine-month pregnant woman hit by tear gas shells during the students’ protests earlier this week. The 34-year-old woman’s child was stillborn and her own condition is stated to be critical at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Imphal.

The emotionally charged women protesters accused the authorities of "murdering" the unborn child and leaving the mother in critical condition.

Senior police officials are seeking to convince the women protesters not to violate the curfew orders and return to their homes.

A spokesperson of the protestors said that despite medical efforts, the woman's condition worsened and remains critical, with a massive intracranial bleed detected during a CT scan conducted on Friday.

With no fresh incidents reported, the District Magistrates of Imphal East, Imphal West, and Thoubal had, on Friday, issued separate orders relaxing the curfew for 11 hours (from 5 a.m. to 4 p.m.) on Saturday.

"Due to the developing law and order situation in the district, the relaxation orders stand cancelled with immediate effect from 2 p.m. on September 14," Imphal West's Additional District Magistrate K. Jadumani Singh said in an order.

Similar orders were also issued by the District Magistrates of Imphal East and Bishnupur districts.

However, no such order was issued by the Thoubal district authority.

During the relaxation of curfew, thousands of people rushed to markets to buy vegetables, food, and other necessities and also to the banks and other offices to perform essential tasks.

A police official said that security in these districts would remain tightened and the patrolling of paramilitary and other central and state forces would continue as usual.

Strife-torn Manipur witnessed a series of violent incidents since September 1, with the suspected militants gunned down at least 12 people, including two women, elderly persons and a retired soldier and injured over 20 others in different districts. Of the 12 deaths, six were killed in mixed-populated Jiribam, adjoining southern Assam.

In view of the escalating violence, mobile Internet service was suspended on September 10 in five districts -- Imphal West, Imphal East, Thoubal, Bishnupur, and Kakching -- for five days (till September 15). The Higher and Technical Education Department and the Directorate of Education, in two separate orders, closed all schools, colleges and technical institutions till September 14, considering the prevailing law and order situation in the state.

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