Protest against Gun Culture held

IMPHAL, April 5: As a mark of protest against unabated violence in the state a sit in demonstration was staged at Palace Compound jointly organized by Women action for development (WAD), Conflict Widows’ Forum (CWF) and other like minded NGOs, upholding the slogan to End Violence.
Speaking at the sideline of the protest, M. Sobita Devi, secretary WAD, said the main objective of the sit-in-protest is to Stop Gun Culture in Manipur. She revealed that the common people have become a scapegoat in the show of money and muscle power and on the other hand more and more women are also becoming widow. While recalling the killing incident of a couple, Majibullah (husband) and Noorsana (wife) by the mob of Sora, Thoubal District, in front of their children, Sobita lamented the incident is truly against the moral ground adding such incidents are not rare in our state Manipur.
She expressed the strong need for establishing a Juvenile Justice Care and protection considering the future of the victim’s children.
Mutum Umarani, Moirang District convener of CWF, a victim of gun violence, a widow whose husband was shot by a UG group, said people of Manipur are now not able to live a peaceful life. Creating a peaceful society has become an impossible task. “Enough is enough, it is time that the people come out in open and confront for their rightful privilege to live in peace”, Umarani mentioned.
The protestor also set a blaze toy guns marking strong opposition against gun culture in Manipur.
In the meantime, the women groups also informed that they will submit a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India drawing the attention of the PM to urgently intervene in the matter of gross violation taking place unabated in Manipur.
In the memorandum addressing the PM, reflected number of instances gun violence recently occurred in the state which included killing of Irom Rozer, killing of Zilla Parisad at Thoubal district, killing of a couple at Sora by a mob, death of an elderly woman in Thoubal district allegedly shot by stray bullet of Assam Rifles and serious of bomb incidents in the state.At the same time, the memo also put up charter of demands.
It demanded to book culprits involve in the incident and execute speedy trial. And also allow the UN special Rapporteur on the situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Indigenous people.
It demanded to book the Army officer of 15 Assam Rifles who assented the firing on March 31 leading to the death of 75 year old woman in Thoubal. Establising trauma counseling centres in the all the districts of Manipur and identifying the traumatized women and children in the state to give trauma counseling, was another demand of the women group.
The demand further asked to establish Child counseling cells in all the schools and at the same time implementation of Juvenile Justice (care and protection), Act 2006 effective.
It also urged for monitoring proliferation of small arms, review the mode and action so of operation of military intelligence, and amending Indian Arms Act 1959 and produce a white paper on how and where the recovered/captured small arms are use.
It urged to increase budget for poor and decease defence budget.