Newmai News Network
Imphal | June 13
Curfew relaxation period has shortened in Imphal as people started agitating against alleged damaging of vehicles by Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel.
Reports said that the RAF personnel smashed windshields of four-wheelers parked on the roadsides besides resorting to firing tear gas shells towards houses allegedly after they confronted womenfolk blocking roads to disrupt the movement of paramilitary forces in the outskirts of Imphal in the wee hours of Tuesday.
With tension running high following the incident, the administration shortened the curfew relaxation period in the twin capital districts of Imphal West and Imphal East by two hours.
The curfew which was relaxed till 8 pm was shortened to 6 pm, according to the separate orders issued by the two district administrations.
The RAF personnel indulged in the alleged vandalism on their way back from their duties of dispersing people blocking roads along Imphal-Moreh section of NH-102 in Kakwa area and in Uripok area along Imphal-Kangchup road last night, around midnight.
The RAF personnel dispersed the crowd, mostly womenfolk blocking the roads to disturb the movement of Assam Rifles by firing tear gas shells and mock bombs, leaving many protesters with minor injuries with no medical attention.
After successfully dispersing the crowd in the Kakwa area under Singjamei police station of Imphal West district, the RAF personnel allegedly smashed windshields of several cars and other four-wheelers parked on the roadsides with stones and canes.
Reports alleged that CCTV cameras installed at various locations along the stretch of the highway from Kakwa to Yaiskul showed that the RAF personnel returning from duty on foot indulged in the vandalism to the wee hours, around 2.20 am.
Windshields of as many as 12 four-wheelers parked on the western side of the road were damaged in the vandalism. Besides smashing the vehicles, the personnel were also seen throwing stones towards the house vicinity, breaking window panes of some houses.
The CCTV footage also captured some of the personnel firing teargas rounds into the empty street compelling residents on the roadsides to wake up.
In a similar incident, the RAF personnel resorted to firing some rounds of tear gas shells while returning to their base after controlling crowds along Uripok-Kangchup road under Lamphel police station of Imphal West district the same night.
The incidents of alleged vandalism put the residents in the nearby localities awake at night, fearing the RAF personnel deployed in their areas carrying out similar vandalism.
Denouncing the alleged vandalism carried out by the RAF personnel sent by the Central government in the wake of ethnic clashes in the state, a large number of womenfolk today staged protests at various places on the sides of the NH-102 from Yaiskul to Singjamei.
At Singjamei Parking, members of the Singjamei Apunba Nupi Lup staged a protest against the excess meted out by the RAF.
At Moirangkhom and Yaiskul too large numbers of womenfolk staged the protest against the irresponsible action of the Central forces.
Talking to media, representatives of S Sumati Devi of Singjamei Apunba Nupi Lup announced that women of Singjamei area have resolved to boycott RAF.
She alleged that the RAF personnel carried out the vandalism without any provocation from the residents of the area. The act of the RAF was totally contradicted with the believed of the people that they were sent here to protect life and property of the people,
He added that the womenfolk of the area will not remain silent and will raise their voices against the atrocity meted out by the security forces to the civilians.
