Anger and grief over the killing of three Meitei civilians have intensified, with women vendors of Khwairamband Ima Keithel staging a sit-in protest and rally on Thursday, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh, Deputy Chief Minister Nemcha Kipgen and Member of Parliament A. Sarda, whom they held accountable for the incident.
The protesting vendors condemned the reported killing of three civilians who had allegedly gone to collect firewood at Sunulok (Khongbal Tangkhul) and were reportedly killed by Kuki militants. The incident has renewed concerns over civilian safety and the assurances given by political leaders regarding freedom of movement across Manipur.
Speaking to reporters, Thingujam Rani, secretary of the Khwairamband Nupi Keithel Sinpham Amadi Saktam Kanba Lup, said the vendors joined the statewide sit-in protest to express their anguish over the killings and convey their condolences to the bereaved families.
Questioning the assurances reportedly given by Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand and BJP leaders that people could travel freely to any part of Manipur, Rani asked how ordinary citizens could feel secure when three people allegedly lost their lives while collecting firewood in the hills.
The killing, she suggested, had raised serious questions about the gap between official assurances and the ground reality confronting civilians. For the women vendors, the incident was not merely another security-related tragedy but a grim reminder of the continuing uncertainty surrounding the safety of ordinary people.
Rani described the incident as deeply unfortunate and stressed that those responsible for protecting the lives of citizens must be held accountable. The demand for the resignation of the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister and the MP reflected the protesters’ anger over what they viewed as a failure to ensure civilian security.
The protest at Ima Keithel, one of Manipur’s most prominent centres of women’s collective activity, added to the public outcry over the killings. The vendors called for accountability, with their demands placing the state leadership under renewed public scrutiny over its assurances of peace, security and unrestricted movement.