GUWAHATI: Protests broke out in different parts of Manipur’s Imphal valley on Friday after security forces apprehended 28 “village volunteers”.According to reports, the persons, believed to be from the Meitei radical group Arambai Tenggol, were picked up during an early morning raid carried out at Panjao Pallumda in the Kakching district. They were later taken to a camp in Thoubal district and were reportedly released.When news about their apprehension spread, protests erupted in the five districts of Imphal Valley. The protestors burnt tyres and blocked roads. In the wake of the lightning protests, shopkeepers downed their shutters.Women had come out in large numbers in different parts of the valley. They shouted slogans demanding the immediate release of the persons and the revocation of the President’s rule.President’s Rule imposed in Manipur following Biren Singh’s resignation amid ethnic violenceThey said Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla’s call to people to surrender weapons was unreasonable as the crisis was yet to be resolved while a stable government was yet to be established.The governor had on Thursday issued a seven-day ultimatum asking people to surrender the looted weapons within seven days or face “strict action”.In an appeal, he stated that people of Manipur, both in the valley and the hills, suffered immense hardship for over 20 months due to a series of unfortunate incidents affecting peace and communal harmony.“In the greater interest of restoring normalcy, so that people can return to their normal day-to-day activities, all communities in the state must come forward to ensure cessation of hostilities and maintenance of peace and order in the society.”“It is in this regard that I sincerely request the people of all communities, particularly the youth in the valley and the hills, to voluntarily come forward and surrender the looted and the illegally held weapons and ammunition…” the governor had appealed.
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