IMPHAL, June 27: Police had a hard time foiling attempts of a large number of student volunteers who tried to storm the Manipur Assembly complex in separate groups while the Assembly session was going on today.
The students were volunteers of the student wing of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System. The committee has been undergoing various forms of agitations in the state demanding implementation of the Inner Line Permit in the state.
At around 12:30pm this afternoon, police stopped a large group of students coming towards the Assembly complex under the banner “Implement Inner Line permit in Manipur” and holding placards from the Sangakpham side at the Chingmeirong Khongnang Ani Karak.
Even as the police tried to pacify the volunteers, they continued sloganeering and tried to break the barricades placed by the police which continued for about ten minutes.
Following the confrontation, police resorted to lathi-charge against the student volunteers in order to disperse them. The volunteers, however while moving back started pelting stones at the police, but the police managed to push them back towards the Sangakpham side.
Meanwhile, after about 30 minutes after the first incident, at around 1pm another group of student volunteers coming towards the Assembly complex from the North AOC side was stopped by the police near the LMS Law College who prevented them from advancing towards the complex.
A police team escorted the student volunteers till Imphal Hotel.
A team of state police led by K Jayenta, Superintendent of police Imphal West and other police officers keept strict surveillance round the clock in the nearby areas of the Assembly complex in the aftermath of the incidents.
Large numbers of police personal were also deployed since early this morning at every corner along the assembly road.
Meanwhile, the student wing of the Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit has called a press conference alleging that 10 of its volunteers were injured during police lathi-charge against its volunteers who were moving towards the Assembly gates to demonstrate against the non-implementation of the ILP in the state.
The press conference was called at the AMSU headquarter today.
Speaking to media persons, Moirangthem Angamba, convener said the political parties of the state should support the movement for implementing ILP in the state.
He said that the time is right for the implementation of the ILP and any more delay in discussing the issue on the floor of the House would be useless as by that time the Assembly will have only non-locals as representatives.
He further condemned the police personnel for using force against the student protestors and said 10 of the volunteers were injured during police action.
The student wing of the joint Committee further demanded that the state Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and the 60 MLAs should reaffirm its stand on ILP and provide positive response to the people’s demand for ILP implementation in the state.
Continuing further, he said, the students are not demanding the ILP implementation for themselves, but to save the indigenous communities of the state from being wiped out totally.
The JCILPS have already prepared to face the government obstruction in demanding ILP and will fight until their demands are fulfill, he said.
He continued the JCILPS will go on giving awareness to the public and students and appealed the police against any obstruction which awareness campaigns on ILP are conducted.