IMPHAL, August 20: The five students on hunger strike demanding introduction of the ILP in front of the Anada Singh Higher Secondary Academy gate refused to be taken away by a team of the Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Child Welfare Committee Imphal East, Juvenile Police Unit Porompat and the CMO Imphal East today.
The team had arrived to take the students into their custody and keep them under observation.
However, repeated appeals of the team failed to deter the students to leave their hunger strike venue.
Meanwhile, the meira paibis guarding the young students have said that one of the students seem to be having health problem as he has been vomiting several times since morning today.
Meanwhile, a 41-year old woman has also launched her hunger strike at Singjamei Wangma Torban Kshetri Leikai Waiting Shed since 8:30am today.
The woman hunger striker is identified as ksh Kunje Deci daughter of ksh Kuber Singh from the same locality.
Meanwhile, as part of the ongoing mass movement demanding the government to implement Inner Line Permit System or similar law in the State to safeguard the indigenous people who are facing threat from the unchecked influx of outsiders, Joint Committee on Inner Line Permit System (JCILPS) Yairipok Wing staged a sit-in-protest at Laimanai Yairipok Thongkhong, Thoubal district today.
In support of the movement, a woman folk identified as Asem Ibetombi Devi of Yairipok Laimanai has launched fast unto death agitation at the venue where the protest demonstration was held.
She is currently holding the president post of Apunba Nupi Khunai Lamjing Meira Lup, Imphal East Yairipok Branch.
Speaking to media persons, Ibetombi said that it is the sole responsibility of the State government to demand the Central government to introduce Inner Line Permit System in the State for the sake of its indigenous people but ironically people including students have been demanding the same due to lack of political will on part of the State government to do so.
The inaction of the State government towards the collective demand has led students to launch different forms of agitation including sit-in-protest, rally and hunger strike, she pointed out.
The woman folk said that she decided to launch fast unto death stir against the failure of the government to meet the long standing demand despite launching severe forms of agitation from many sections.
The 12-hour public curfew called by meira paibis of Langol Laimanai, Langol Game Village and Langol Ningthou Leikai concluded peacefully today.
The public curfew was called in connection with the arrest of an ILP hunger striker Yumnam Langdaiba Meitei, 22, son of Y Irabot Meitei of Lairikyengbam Leikai by the police for his hunger strike.
A meira paibi said the public curfew was called against the arrest of Langdaiba who is a gold medalist kick boxer and in support of the ongoing ILP movement.
She said although the protest was peaceful, the behavior of a police team that came to block the protest was unfortunate.
The police personnel had torn down the poster of Landaiba and stomp on it trying to provoke the protestors, the meira paibis claimed.