Manipur women's novel protest against strikes

Fed up with frequent strikes by socio-political groups, women of the state on Tuesday expressed their disgust by dumping utensils on roads.

Fed up with frequent strikes by socio-political groups in Manipur, women of the state on Tuesday expressed their disgust in a novel way -- by dumping utensils on roads.

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Their action came even as a general strike by outlawed militant group Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) to press for introduction of Manipuri script in educational institutions in the state entered its third day on Tuesday.

Official reports said womenfolk of Chingamakha and surrounding areas in Imphal west district collected their empty pots and pans and dumped them in the middle of the roads.

The protest was organised by 'Salai Apunba Lamjing Lup', a social organisation whose president Y Ibethoi said unending blockades and strikes over introduction of Manipuri script in place of Bengali had severely affected the people whose livelihood depended on their daily earnings.

She said the organisation's volunteers' action was to make the point that there was no rice to feed their families and their protest would continue till a settlement was arrived at between the government and the agitators.

Meanwhile, KCP said in a statement that the bandh would be relaxed for two days from Wednesday because of observance of "martyrs" day on April 13 by People's Liberation Army, another banned outfit, and a local festival on April 14. The bandh would, however, resume from April 15.

Activists of Meelal, a social group, has been agitating for over two months to press for introduction of Manipuri script in schools and colleges and had called general strikes and economic blockades as a part of their stir.