Voices grow louder in Manipur against FIR targeting Meira Paibis

Newmai News Network

Imphal: The voices demanding revocation of an FIR registered against a local meira paibi (women torch bearers) group in Manipur’s Bishnupur district are getting louder. 

The police filed the FIR against meira paibis of Ithai Loukon for allegedly chasing away personnel of Mahar Regiment on January 2, while protesting against deployment of central security forces in the area not affected by ethnic violence.

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Decrying the registration of the FIR, the Ithai Nupicha Association had, on January 4, set a three-day deadline for the concerned authorities to revoke the case.

Joining the chorus demanding the revocation of the FIR, Poirei Lemarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur (PLMPAM) and All Manipur Women Voluntary Association (AMWVA) today said that the two bodies considered registering the FIR against a particular meira paibi group as against all the meira paibis groups across the state.

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Addressing a joint press conference at AMUCO office in Imphal today, president of AMWVAY Kunjarani said that the two women-based organisations strongly condemned the filing of the FIR against the meira paibis who protested against the deployment of central security forces.

She demanded that the FIR should be withdrawn immediately while questioning the government’s intention to deploy security forces in areas not affected by ongoing ethnic violence.

The two bodies have been strongly against the deployment of security forces in areas which are not affected by violenceand will continue to do so, she added.

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In case the police arrest the meira paibis, any untoward incident arising out of it should be the sole responsibility of the government, she warned.

Citing the reason for womenfolk across the state standing against the deployment of security forces, the AMWVAY president said that every individual in the state is well aware of “unwarranted atrocities” meted out to civilians by securityforce personnel.

“At the same time, the people across the valley districts were not satisfied with the biased nature of the central security forces while dealing with the ongoing conflict”, she also said.

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Other leaders of the two bodies also spoke against the deployment of central security forces in violent unaffected areas of the valley districts.

They cautioned that if the FIR is not withdrawn at the earliest, the meira paibis will launch an intense agitation in response.

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